


The Whole Damn RoadHouse Knows

by TheBadassIsIn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, POV Multiple, Pranks, bar au, bet pool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-19
Updated: 2014-01-11
Packaged: 2017-12-20 16:22:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/889344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBadassIsIn/pseuds/TheBadassIsIn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The crew at the Roadhouse places bets on how long it will take Dean and Cas to get their heads out of their asses and do it already.  Rated M for Becky’s dirty mind and later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jo has a feeling

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking this out. As the chapters progress there will be shenanigans happening to try to push Dean and Cas together. I already have some pretty ridiculous ideas planned out - but I am always open to prompts and prank suggestions. Story updates Fridays - Enjoy!
> 
> General disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I am not making any profit by posting this story... except your reviews ;D

**Jo has a feeling**

The everyday rush at the Roadhouse slowed as summer faded away and school started again. Jo can’t say she’s mad because she hates the endless rush of people who assume it’s okay to prance into a place of business in a bikini just because they are the closest restaurant to the really nice lake the undergrads love. But she can’t say she loves the mindless work of waiting on two or three regulars per hour either. And the tips that came with the lunch crowd were so not worth it. She would rather switch her weekend nights with the week nights Dean seemed to monopolize.

The only thing that came to the bar on Saturday nights was trouble, but on the other hand, it did pay a hell of a lot better. She sighed. She didn’t mind, not really. Things would pick up again soon. Until then, only two people were needed to take care of the Mon-Thur lunch crowd. Right now a few hicks were seated together in the back end whispering about their next hunt and Cas was waiting on them.

She didn’t know if it was out of boredom or some girly part of her that hadn’t died yet and decided to have a crush but Jo couldn’t take her eyes off him. He had to be around six feet with a muscular build that filled the window while still being thin and gentle. He had that lean, wiry kind of muscle that could hold and protect you but never intimidate or make you worry he’d hurt you. His dark hair was perfectly mussed with little tendrils playing shadows on his face. One hung over his left eye and across the damn room her hand twitched with the want to brush it back.

Jo shook her head and stood on tiptoes to make her apron reach a glob of mayonnaise someone’s sandwich had left behind on the bar. But it only distracted her for a second as her mind went right back to his eyes. She took another peek. He had such beautiful eyes, the clearest blue she had ever seen. As sunlight from the window danced across his face they almost seemed to glow.

The swinging door from the kitchen creaked open behind her and the daydream was officially over. Jo was more than surprised at where her thoughts had wandered. It usually took a hell of a lot of lip gloss and a little black dress to cover up her tomboy heart and convince her she wasn’t one of the guys.

Hell, she spent more time rating women with Ash and Dean then she had looking at guys lately. Guess that answers the question of boredom or crush. And then bam! Cas looked her way and some secret emotion lit his eyes and stopped her breath. Yup, she had it bad, but what felt worse was knowing that the look wasn’t for her. Without even turning around she knew who had just walked through the door. She sighed and pulled the few tips she had earned out of the pocket of the apron around her hips before untying the string. And no, those are so not tears burning behind her eyes right now.

“Good luck Dean, looks to be a slow night.” She said throwing the bar apron at his face to pause the soulful staring. She forgot she had used the apron to wipe up that mayonnaise until Dean was pealing if off of his head and she noticed some of it in his hair. She did her best to hold in a giggle as she turned back towards Cas who was checking on his customer’s meal like the angel he was.

 _Jo_  was evil. Seeing Dean wipe mayonnaise off his pretty face and miss the bit still in his hair should not be so satisfying. She blew a kiss across the dining room. “See ya later Castiel. Becky should be here to help with the dinner crowd any minute. I’ll be back with my mom before close.” Cas did that little lost puppy head tilt that in no way made her heart swell and she strutted through the kitchen to make sure Ash was all set at the grill before heading home down the little dirt path out back.

* * *

Dean’s brain froze as usual when Cas came up to the bar to put in a drink order. He started their damn staring contest of the day and Dean swallowed down his hello before Cas’ eye brow raised and his gaze moved to where Dean was still rubbing his cheek trying to get the greasy feeling of the mayo off. “Jo man. Doesn’t even say hello, just starts throwin’ things at me. Who lit the fuse on her tampon?”

“Dean.” Cas says before ducking his head to look back to his note pad. “I hope you don’t say things like that when Jo’s around. I don’t think she would like it very much.”

Dean stops scrubbing his face for a minute to take the note pad from Cas and reach in the coolers for the beers they don’t have on tap, filling a few mugs with the rest as Cas sets everything on a tray. Guy had no sense of humor and a constant stick up his ass. “What are you two dating now?” And why the hell did his blood run cold at the thought? Cas could date whoever he wanted. And Jo? Well, Jo was like the little sister he never particularly wanted. Maybe he was jealous because Jo used to have a crush on him when they were kids? That was probably it.

“No.” Cas said almost tipping over one of the bottles and setting the rest off like dominoes. “No, I’m uh I’m not seeing anyone right now.” That wasn’t awkward or anything. Maybe they were keeping it a secret? God knows Cas can’t tell a lie to save his life. Dean felt his day get a little worse but chalked it up to his friends not trusting him enough or guilt for making fun of who was probably Cas’ first girlfriend. Man he could not see them together.

“Jo knows I’m a jerk sometimes. And she started it.” Cas met his eyes again to give him the smallest smirk and Dean knew he was forgiven. Just because he was a little cranky sometimes didn’t mean Cas wasn’t the biggest push over he’d ever met.

Dean watched him go back to the customers in the corner and had to snap himself out of his stare. Why was it so hard to look away from that guy? He was nothing special. Did he even own a comb? Well Dean probably didn’t have a comb either and if he did he had no idea where it was but his hair didn’t need one. Cas walked around with constant bed head. If the guy wasn’t a proud virgin he would have guessed the guy’s hair was always in a state of just hooked up. And where the frig did the shivers up his spine just come from?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 11 January 2014.   
> Please bring any mistakes to the comment box or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	2. Becky So Totally Knows

**Becky So Totally Knows**

Becky pulled around to the back of The Roadhouse with a smile plastered on her face. It had been a beautiful sunny day. A Thursday. Which meant that Dean had the night shift. Which meant Sam was going to come in for dinner at some point and she had a plan of action for finally feeling those perfect pecks she caught a swoon worthy glimpse of at the Fourth of July BBQ.

He had a tattoo! She had to contain a squeal at the memory as she heaved open the rusted back door. She made her way to the linen closet off the kitchen to hang up her purse and jacket and grab an apron. Given the chance, she would lick every pin prick that made up that flaming pentagram on his chest. And then, ya know, everything else.

“What are you blushin’ at Becks?” Ash called over from the grill.

“Nothing!” She shouted as she ran out of the kitchen. She looked across the dining area and it was dead! The last of the lunch crowd was making their way out as Castiel cleaned their table. Dean was walking towards her with a stack of dirty dishes and something white crusting the hair by his temple. She blinked her eyes and looked again and yeah. All she could think of was that scene in Something About Mary where Cameron Diaz used …well, ya know… as hair gel. “Oh. Mygod.” Dean looked behind him and back at her face, probably a whole new color red.

“What?”

“Oh. My. God! Dean! Ew! I can’t believe… I mean…” Becky let her mouth hang open for a second as Dean looked down at himself wildly and Castiel headed their way to see what was happening. Becky stepped closer to Dean as she whispered not so quietly. “Dean, it’s great that ya know, you can always ‘ _get some’_ whenever the mood strikes but couldn’t you have cleaned up before work?” She took the plates out of his hands and slammed them on the closest table then steered him to the mirror behind the top shelf liquor. “Look! People don’t want to see that while they eat!”

“What the hell?” Dean wiped at the mess in his hair. “No. Becky, god you have a dirty mind you know that? No. It was” Dean pointed at the apron on the bar.

“And you used your apron to clean up? Have you no shame?” Castiel, whose brows shot up to the ceiling as he finally caught on to the exchange, grabbed the dishes from the nearby table and bolted into the kitchen. Becky watched him go before a light bulb plinked on over her head. “Oh my God! Was it with Cas?” All of a sudden the disgust was gone. “That is so cute!” She gushed for a moment before her brow furrowed again and she slapped Dean’s arm. “Please tell me his first time wasn’t in the parking lot or that nasty bathroom!”

Dean’s mouth opened and closed before a slew poured out. “His first? What? No. God. It’s Mayo!” He ran to the creaking door for the kitchen to yell inside “It’s MAYO!” before stomping off to the bathroom to clean up. Ash poked his head out of the kitchen.

“What the hell was that?”

“Mayo apparently.” Becky said, tossing the questionable apron to Ash and heading over to make sure the tables in her section all had salt.

* * *

Three hours later and their first official Thirsty Thursday of the new school year was still dead. The freshman hadn’t found their way out of town yet and the returning students were still in their ‘this year I’m going to actually go to class’ mode.

Becky gave it two weeks before regulars like Bobby would be laughing at the ‘city boys’ trying to walk in skinny jeans and the girls complaining about the music selection in the juke box not going past 1989.

She brought a pitcher up to the bar for Dean to refill and gave him one of her best shy smiles. “Can you refill this please?” He gave her a death glare straight to the soul that had her gulping. “Still not talking to me huh? Okay.”

When Sam eventually did come, her night brightened but fizzled again when he had his food at the bar instead of in her section. She certainly wanted to avoid the bar tonight and she was bright enough to realize that pulling anything on Sam without involving Dean was not the best way to get back into Dean’s good graces. The plan wouldn’t happen tonight. But there would always be Monday to look forward to.

“Hey Becky?” Becky whirled around to see Jo closer than she had probably ever seen the boss’ daughter since her first day of training last fall. The day she first saw Sam. Focus Becky.

“Hi Jo! Want to sit in my section?”

“Sure, yeah.” Becky nodded excitedly and made to walk Jo to a booth but the girl wasn’t following. “Actually I was going to ask, uh. Can I talk to you?”

“Oh no. If this is about Dean, I really didn’t mean to.”

“What? No. Just” Jo was thumbing back towards said bar tender and started taking little steps backwards. “I’ll be at the bar, come grab me when the kitchen closes.”

“Yeah, sure. Okay Jo.” Becky smiled shyly, she didn’t want to scare away another potential work friend.

“What happened with Dean?” Jo threw in. Something on Becky’s face must have said it all. “I’ll just ask him.” Jo gave her one of those awkward nods people do when she is being too perky or too much of a fangirl.

“Uh, no. Wait.” But Jo was already sliding onto one of the stools and receiving her own death glare from Dean. How did that man make any tips? And then Cas was putting in an order and his whole face changed. Right, he was the ‘sexy one’. Becky’s gaze moved over to Sam laughing at something Bobby had said and thought to herself  _no way_.

Soon enough eleven rolled around and the kitchen closed. The bar would stay open until two and Becky would stay to cocktail waitress if a table didn’t want to go to the bar and to clean up after last call. Ash would clean up the kitchen and join Ellen, Bobby, Sam and Dean at the bar until he was barely sober enough to shuffle down the trail to his apartment in Ellen’ basement. Cas would usually leave because he had the lunch and dinner shift, he didn’t need bar shift too. This would typically be when Becky would float around aimlessly, not really needed on the floor on such a slow night but feeling guilty if she stayed up at the bar to talk with everyone else instead of working.

But tonight, “Hey Jo! Want to grab a table?”

“Yup! Oh man, Dean was just telling everyone what you said.” Jo bent over to hold her stomach in a goofy laugh. She reached back behind her to grab two shot glasses and the bottle of Tequila, took in a big breath and stood up straight to follow Becky to her section. “That is priceless. And it was mayonnaise by the way. My bad.” She was laughing again and Becky didn’t know what to do besides take a seat.

“Oh.”

* * *

Dean watched Cas finish up wiping down the empty tables in his section and make his way over to the bar to say good night. “Hey Cas, why don’t you stay for a couple beers?”

“No thank you, I don’t drink on work nights.” Cas said with an amused expression that probably comes with repeating himself every night before giving his customary wave and continuing to the kitchen.

“One of these days man, you’re going to have a day off.”

“I have weekends off, but you don’t work Friday nights.” Cas caught his eye again and Dean had no idea how long the staring match lasted before Sam was hitting his arm.

“So, she really though the mayo was..?” he let the sentence hang as he prompted his older brother to continue the story.

“I’m telling you Sammy, the girl’s nasty.” Dean said with an over exaggerated shudder. He turned back to the kitchen door but Cas was gone. He didn’t know why he wanted the guy to stay so bad. Cas’d be there again for lunch shift tomorrow. He gave a little shrug and tuned back to Sam.

“I don’t believe it. That couldn’t be what she meant.”

Ash came around the bar and began digging in the cooler for his own personal stash, “I don’t know Sam. She gets this look in’er eyes sometimes like she wants a piecea me. Ya know what I’m sayin?”

“Yeah Ash, sure.” Sam laughs into his own mug.

“What? Why can’t I get the brainy girls like you? I’m definitely smarter.”

Dean chokes down a laugh. He forgets sometimes that the hick went to MIT. He watches Ellen put a motherly hand on his shoulder. “Ash, honey, I love you but maybe if you were business all the way around and wore some shirts with sleeves…”

“You stop it right there Ellen Harvelle. The party in the back is what I’m all about!”

Dean barked out another laugh but he couldn’t help empathizing. Hell, he wasn’t really complaining. Dean had been with everything from truckers to surgeons but nothing had ever lasted. They objectified the sexy bartender as much as he objectified them. But he had never really had that  _something_  with  _someone_. He was starting to believe he really didn’t deserve it. “And I’m its biggest fan.” He said before his thoughts could get too deep for work and pushed Ash out from his side of the bar.

“Hey, hands off. This merchandise is for the ladies only. Save it for Cas.” Ash said, sneaking back in for another beer before laughing his way to the seat Jo left open. Dean just rolled his eyes and shook his head. What was it with everyone today?

“Dean?” Sam asked shoving his glass forward requesting more beer, but he could see in those stupid puppy eyes that his mask had slipped and his brother was asking if he was okay. Dean nodded once and moved the glass under the friggin’ Blue Moon tap he couldn’t believe The Roadhouse had let alone Sam drank. His brother was such a wuss.

* * *

“So, um. What did you want to talk about?” Becky asked, knotting her hands under the table as Jo picked at the label on the bottle of tequila. Awkward.

“Crushes.” Jo looked up with a completely straight face. Becky’s eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.

“Oh my God. Okay. You go first!” Becky nearly vibrated with glee as she watched Jo’s expression turn to one of dread. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “Sorry. I don’t get to do girl talk very often away from the internet. I can go first if you want.”

“No, that’s okay. I didn’t really want to talk about me.”

“Oh. Okay. Wait, does someone  _have_  a crush on  _me_? Is it Sam? Ohmygod.” Becky saw Jo watching her hands flapping like a Miss USA just being crowned and she did her best to calm down. But she couldn’t help the smile that reached her eyebrows or the little high pitched squeal she was trying so hard to keep in her mouth but that still came out like a glass shattering hum.

“No. I mean. I don’t know. Just… have you noticed anything between Dean and Cas lately?” Jo started playing with the label again and Becky had the feeling she really didn’t want to talk about this. But she asked so…

“Oh yeah. Tons of stuff. Sexual tension galore. Something is totally going on there.”

“Jeez, I thought it was just me.”

“No! I mean, all the staring and blushing. Cas totally has a crush on Dean but Dean is clueless. I think they would be really cute together though. Maybe even as cute as Sam and Dean.”

“Yeah, me too.” Jo said still scratching the bottle before her eyes shot up to Becky’s. Opps too far. “Wait, what?”

“S-sam and Dean? They’re adorable. And they do live together. They do everything together. They remind me of these guys in this book series-”

“Yeah, Supernatural. I know. You love it, but what?”

“Just, sorry, sometimes you can’t shut off the fangirl. Not that you should shut it off, if you shut it off then that’s like losing a fan and even for a minute that’s…” Becky was losing her. Down Becky, calm down! “Never mind. As much as I love talking about this… why are we talking about this?”

“Because I have…” Jo pauses to pour tequila into the two shot glasses she bought over. She downed one and threw back the other before Becky even had a chance to take it. “I think I have a crush on Castiel.” Becky takes a huge gasp before Jo trudges on. “Yeah, so, girly feelings. And they need to stop. So let’s get Dean and Cas together so I can move on and go back to being a semi-self respecting tomboy.”

Becky nodded excitedly. “This is going to be so much fun but we might have a problem.”

Jo groans and pours out more tequila, this time passing one Becky’s way. “God, what?”

“Well, I mean it’s nice to think of them together and stuff but is Dean really gay?” Jo is still shaking her head around the hot burn down her throat. Before she can speak, Becky powers on. “I mean I think he’s gay. This one time when we were all playing never have I ever Dean admitted to wearing girl’s panties. AND he said he liked them! And he’s so butch, I think he’s over compensating and last week I heard him tell Sam ‘it’s a gay thing’ that all means he’s totally gay right?” Jo is staring at her with that annoyed look. Becky lets out a slow sigh and sips her tequila before wrinkling her nose. She’s really more of a fruity cocktail girl. One time Sam made her a banana daiquiri. That has to be her favorite. But Jo is speaking again.

“…No. None of that has anything to do with him being gay. Where do you hear this stuff?”

“The internet.”

“Well you shouldn’t judge people like that.” Becky turns the shot in her hand feeling a little self-conscious. She really shouldn’t talk about these things with people who aren’t shippers. “But you’re kinda right. He’s been out as bi forever I’m surprised you didn’t know.” Becky’s head shot back up. The internet is always right.

“I knew it!”

“Yeah, yeah. So how are we going to do this?” She was a mastermind at getting people together, at least in fan fiction, but she couldn’t help being distracted by Sam’s loud laugh from across the bar and the way that smile spread over his whole face and made him look so carefree and loveable.

“Actually, I think I have an idea but…could we do one thing first?”

Jo takes one look at Becky’s face and whatever she sees there makes her fill the shot glasses again.

* * *

“You have your rag?”

“Mhmm.” Becky hummed while following Jo a little too closely up to the bar. Jo positioned herself as close to Sam and his freshly filled Blue Moon as possible.

“Take Jose back Dean, I need some El Sol stat.”

“Pitcher?”

“Yup.”

“Comin’ right up.”

Becky barely paid attention to the exchange. She was trying her best not to stare at Sam, but when he looked her way with a little tipsy smile, she couldn’t help the huge grin and wave that happened next. Jo turned to nod at Becky and blindly reached back to the bar when she heard the pitcher slide her way. She whipped it forward and knocked Sam’s drink clean off the bar and into his lap, sloshing the top half of her beer with it.

“Jo!” Sam yelped flying off his stool as Jo and Dean heaved over laughing.

Becky flew forward with her rag and started sopping up the mess on Sam, unable to hide her grin. She loved it when a plan came together.

“JoAnna Beth, I don’t know what you girls are playing at but when you start wasting my beer you are cut off young lady. Understand?” Ellen scolded before adding in a few chuckles of her own at Sam’s scandalized face.

Becky couldn’t bring herself to be the slightest bit guilty. God it was perfect! He was more firm then she’d imagined and she could see the tattoo through his drenched T-shirt.

“Becky?” He was calling her, he said her name! Only, it didn’t sound anywhere near as happy as she was.

“Yeah Sam?”

“Can you stop touching me?” Oh that so was not going to happen. Although, she did notice her rag had begun sopping up the mess in his lap and she smiled up at him before moving her hand back to his chest again.

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re still wet.” It was a perfectly good answer if you’d asked her. Sam caught her hands,  _oh my_ , and moved around her to make his escape to the bathroom. She turned to smile at Jo. “That. Was. Awesome.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 11 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	3. Sam knows... Something

 

 

**Sam Knows… Something**

When they finally got home Sam slammed the door and locked the deadbolt. He eyed the chain and slid that into place for good measure too. Dean laughed from where he was throwing his coat on a chair behind them.

“What’s got you all jumpy?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe being violated?”

“You are such a drama queen.”

“ _You_  didn’t have beer dumped all over you and then get groped.”

“Sounds like a typical Thursday to me.”

“Shut up Dean. You were right about Becky. She’s a perv.”

“Told ya.”

Sam watched his brother kick off his work boots before shrugging a shoulder. “Yeah. So, you going to tell me what’s going on with you?”

“ _Shut up Dean. Let’s talk Dean_. Make up your dammed mind Sam.”

“Jerk”

“Bitch.” This wasn’t going to get anywhere productive tonight. Sam crossed his arms over his still damp chest. He felt sticky and gross and would kill for a shower, but he knew if he gave Dean a minute he might start talking and there was definitely something weighing on his brother’s shoulders. Dean took in his stance before dropping onto the couch and rolling his eyes.

“It’s nothing Sammy. Just my own share of Becky.”

“Right.” Sam waited for him to continue but when Dean just flicked on the TV instead he opted for the shower over the life long wait it might take for Dean to actually willingly express an emotion. “Still, something’s weird with you. Dibs on the shower. See you in the morning.” He said making his way to the small bathroom they shared.

He heard Dean shout “Don’t use all the hot water! I still have friggin’ mayo in my hair!” and Sam decided maybe a long, hot shower was just what he needed tonight.

* * *

When Sam had finally finished his goddamn  _half hour shower_  he was nice enough to wake Dean by turning off the TV and chucking the remote into his lap. Dean was pulled out of his dream and left with that feeling, the one that weighed down his chest whenever he or Cas broke one of their staring matches. He heaved himself off the couch and stretched, popping tired joints before shuffling to the bathroom. Steam was still swirling its way up to the fan in the ceiling and clinging to the mirrors. “Little bitch.” He pulled open the curtain to see the added bonus of Sam’s hair floating in two inches of water. He was living with a girl. He really was. Next would be tampons clogging the toilet.

Pulling proof that Sasquatch was alive and well out of the drain was more than enough to calm any stirrings that may or may not have been taking place after his little power nap and any questions as to why they were there. Screw everything about today. Really.

Dean sped through his freezing shower barely remembering to wash his hair and made his way to his room to pass out. Lunch shift tomorrow.  _Great_. But a little smile still managed to tug at his lips as he let sleep take over again.

* * *

Sam squints into the sunlight pouring through his bedroom window. Why did they put windows in bedrooms? Bedrooms should be like a dark cave where he can spend his entire Thursday morning before getting up for his 4pmlinguistics gen-ed. God that class sucked. Or would have sucked if that girl didn’t help him out. What was her name? Jessica? No she said Jess. Man she was gorgeous, maybe they could work together again today, maybe he could… wait, he only had that class once a week. And on Thurs… oh fuck it’s Friday! He rolls off his stomach to reach for the alarm clock by his bed, nearly falling out in the process. 12:45. Fuck. He was supposed to be at The Roadhouse for the lunch shift at 11:30, so was Dean. Shit. He bolted out of his bedroom and around the other side of the living room to Dean’s to throw open the door and slap the hand hanging out of the bed. “Dean! Let’s go we’re late.” Sam runs back to his room to throw on jeans and a clean shirt before combing his hands through his hair praying it was alright. “Dean!”

“Quit your bitchin’, I’m up!” Sam would have stopped dead in his tracks if he wasn’t in such a rush. That took a surprisingly small amount of effort.

“Why didn’t you set your alarm?” He runs to the bathroom to brush his teeth and sees Dean already there. No effort. None, what was going on?

“Too tire. Ewhy dinin’ ou?” he asked around the toothbrush.

“First day of the week I didn’t have school. I wasn’t thinking I guess.” Dean spits in the sink and pushes his way out of the room.

“Hurry up and brush your hair Samantha, Cas is all alone.” And Sam hears the front door slam and his brother racing down the metal steps to the car. Sam was honestly more concerned about Ellen putting a new hole in him when they finally arrived.

He didn’t have to worry for too long when they got there in half the time, thanks to Dean breaking every traffic code known to man, and he saw Jo stocking the bar instead of her mother.

“Can either one of you douches tell me why I’ve been filling soda pitchers and taking burger orders for the coeds in the corner when I was only supposed to have been here for a half hour to do inventory before coming back for the dinner shift?”

“Sorry Jo, Sam over slept. Get out of my bar. God! Why do you have to move  _everything_?” Dean said pushing his way past his obviously pissed friend before setting about moving things back to where he liked them.

Sam piped in before more than the “You’re friggin welcome!” Jo had yelled could come out. He forgot sometimes that she could be as scary as her mom when she wanted to be.

“I’m really sorry Jo. We both forgot to set our alarms. It won’t happen again and we can cover for you if you want to come in late tonight. I’ll finish the inventory if you want.” Sam gave his best puppy eyes, hoping they had the same effect on her as they did on Dean. Luck was with him.

“It’s okay Sam. I’ll finish up the inventory and I need the tips anyway. Just call or something next time. I didn’t get here right away either and Cas doesn’t get here until noon because he works the double. We have been drowning in the freshmen that just found us while trying to play catch up with set up. Looks like we’re still a college hang out after all. They can’t find us on an over staffed Thirsty Thursday but all of a sudden Friday they just  _need_  extra fries. God! If it’s this busy for lunch, imagine tomorrow night. Shoot me, will ya?” Sam smiles and shrugs.

“Had to happen sometime, but hey at least we get tips right?”

“Yeah,” Jo replies then turns to the group walking out the door to say loud enough to hear outside, “If you count quarters as tips!”

Sam was just about to head over to his section when he saw Cas come up to the bar and Dean duck his head like the days he used to be afraid of how their dad would react to bad news.

“Hey Cas, I’m real sorry we were late and you got slammed. If you want to take a break or something, let me know, I’ll cover for you.” Dean did a little guilty shrug and Sam let out a shocked huff before he turned to look at Jo and thumb back at his possessed brother.

Jo just shook her head. “Figures.” She said before stomping back to the kitchen with her inventory list.

Something is definitely up.

It wasn’t until 6:30 when Jo was back to take over the bar for dinner that Sam saw Dean and Cas talking in the lull between early bird regulars and late dinner for students that it clicked. Dean was smiling at something Cas was saying. Like really smiling. Not a making fun of Sam and Jo smile or being a trouble maker for Ellen and Bobby smile. It was his flirty smile. But …not the fake cocky bartender-Dean flirty smile. The nervous, I don’t really know how to flirt unless I’m faking it one. And, was Cas  _blushing_? And now they were just looking at each other. Dean called them staring matches… that didn’t look like a grade school staring match. And then Dean’s eyes are flicking down and he’s licking his lips and Sam officially needs some brain bleach. Sam puts out and arm to stop Jo from stepping behind the bar and just points.

“I know. Sickening isn’t it?” Jo turns around to face him and Sam has to peel what’s left of his eyes away from the horrible display.

“When the hell did this start?” Because he really didn’t know. One minute they were barely friends and… well Dean didn’t really have friends unless you count Jo but she was like a sister. In fact, Cas might be the only friend aside from their other Roadhouse friends, but they think of Ellen, Jo, Booby, and Ash as a little makeshift family. And Becky… no. He’s pretty sure that relationship just revolves around arguing Vonnegut versus Carver Edlund. But don’t think for a second that he hasn’t seen Dean reading that book with two guys on the cover Becky gave him for his birthday. Still, he doesn’t think Dean really likes Becky. Sam has people from school, but Cas might really be Dean’s only friend. Holy shit, he should have known. Jo just shrugs and looks back over her shoulder before giving him a very unamused eye roll.

“I don’t know. But I’m sick of it. Becky and I are putting a plan together to get them to just do it already. You in?”

“Becky’s involved?” Sam almost shudders to think what one of her plans could entail.

“Don’t worry, you can work on the home front.” She says, standing on her toes to punch him lightly in the shoulder.

“Cas?” Sam just shakes his head, he still can’t believe it.

“I know. I was thinking of making a bet pool for how long it’ll take them to realize.”

“Ha! Are you kidding me? With Dean that could take years.” Sam looks back to the bar at his brother who is not so subtly watching Cas walk away. “Or maybe not.” Bleh, his brother and his friend. He would throw up if it they weren’t so weirdly yin and yang perfect for each other. “I’m in. But if we’re putting down bets in The Roadhouse, someone is going to have to tell Bobby or he’ll hide our bodies in his scrap yard.”

“My mom too. This should be interesting.” Sam lets out a little laugh. That’s an understatement. This was either going to end in a wedding with rainbows and sparkly unicorns or a complete train wreck.

“So what’s the plan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 11 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	4. Cas has a good day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a lot of prompts for a Cas pov so I decided to squeeze one in before the pranks. I finished a little early so I'm posting a day ahead of time too :) Enjoy.

**Cas Has a Good Day**

When the lull finally sets in between the early bird regulars and the rush he knows is about to come with college students exploring the restaurants and bars outside of town Castiel takes full advantage. It had been a long day. He clears and readies his tables, delivers food to a couple in the back corner and checked on his three other groups who all gave him looks as though they were tired with the happy waiter routine.

He wasn’t that happy, he didn’t understand.

He tried to rub a grease stain off the front of his apron and straighten his shirt before going up to the bar for a short break. Castiel leaned over the old wood polished with years of spilt whiskey and beer and reached for one of the glasses Dean had set to dry.

“Hello, Dean.” Cas gulped at the sight of the man’s jeans stretched over his rear as he cleaned the cooler before restocking it for the night. Dean hit his head on the lip of the cooler door coming up too fast and Castiel winced as he turned around. “Sorry.”

“My fault, I wasn’t paying attention.” Dean said, rubbing at the back of his head. The lights were dim but he was sure a blush was spreading under the smattering of freckles across his face. Cas bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from smiling. “What’ll it be?”

“Just a water, thank you.” He looked behind him to make sure none of his patrons were trying to wave him over before taking a seat. “Busy day.” He sighed, eyeing someone when they are not looking and stating the obvious probably isn’t the best way to make friends. But Dean’s smile is friendly enough. Castiel can’t help but give a small embarrassed twitch of his lips in return.

“Yeah, I’m a little surprised. It was so dead yesterday. Usually things don’t pick back up until around October.” This conversation was going nowhere. Castiel gave a stiff shrug, he wasn’t good at small talk. He took a long swallow of his water as he turned back to look at the groups behind him again. Everyone seemed well enough. When he looked back at Dean, the man was looking away quickly and fumbling with a bottle opener he seemed to have picked up for no reason. “Anything exciting happen after I left last night?”

Dean’s eyes met his again with an amused twinkle in them. Castiel didn’t know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t the tale Dean spun about Jo and Becky teaming up against Sam. Sam was so kind, he didn’t deserve so much of Becky’s attention. Then again Sam being too nice to verbally attack Becky when she was being a little too… well _Becky_  was probably one of the reasons she liked him so much. Maybe that was the same way Dean was a little too nice to him. Sometimes, well most of the time if you asked his family back when he had one, Castiel could be a little much too. “You should’ve seen his face. I expected him to start yelling for an adult. Becky, man.” Dean shook his head and went back to rinsing glasses. Cas tried to return his thoughts to their conversation.

“She does seem to have quiet the crush.”

“Yeah? I thought she just wanted to jump his bones. What did she tell you?” Castiel could feel his ears burn at the comment. Sometimes he forgot conversations with Dean usually came around to sex. But then he let his eyes follow up the man’s frame and he could see why. He pushed his glass forward for some more water and turned to make sure no one was close enough to hear.

“Becky probably wouldn’t like me to say but she has a journal with his name all over it.

“You’re kidding me?!” Dean is throwing his head back in laughter like he has never seen. He would say it was forced if Dean wasn’t so obviously struggling to breath. “She seriously has a diary? What is she 12? I wonder if she plans their wedding in it.” He lets out a few more tickled chuckles and Castiel knows he must be beet red now.

“It’s just a journal, you don’t have to be 12 to have a journal.” Dean’s eyes lock with his and he instantly regrets saying anything.

“Sorry Cas, but journals don’t have my brother’s name all over the front. As long as yours doesn’t then I’m sure it’s very manly and not a diary at all.” Dean gives him a new smile he can’t quite figure out and locks their eyes together again. The apology seems sincere if a bit awkward. Castiel wonders if he would have apologized if he knew that many of the entries he wrote used Dean’s name again and again.

Before he has too much time to worry those eyes are washing out all other thoughts. At least until Jo slams a tray full of clean pitchers from the kitchen on the bar announcing Dean’s shift is over. Castiel nods at Jo before going back to his section. He’d been told he had a staring problem before but Dean didn’t seem to mind.

Rufus was walking in and he knew that man couldn’t take a happy waiter before he got his Johnny Walker but Castiel couldn’t help the smile that lingered as he led him to his usual table.

He was actually having a good day. It started off horrifically with too much to do and no time but his pockets were already full of enough tips where he could make change at the tables, he had been able to talk to Dean, and for some reason Sam and Dean had stayed behind after their shift. Sam seemed to be doing his best to avoid Becky by hiding in the kitchen, but Dean was still sitting up at the bar talking to Jo and if he wasn’t mistaken, he kept looking back to Castiel’s section as if he wanted to talk again. Cas would love to, honestly, but he was slammed with a drunken college crowd and grumbling regulars and Becky seemed even more distracted than usual. He wouldn’t be rude and ask her to speed things up but complaints were being thrown at him from tables that weren’t his and it was starting to flatten his good mood. He went back to the kitchen to find Becky and give Ash another order but walked in on a party.

Ellen, Bobby, Sam and Jo were all crowded around one of the prep tables laughing about something and writing on one of Bobby’s Salvage yard Calendars until Sam throws a worried look at him. Before Castiel can ask what’s wrong, Becky shoots out from nowhere and pulls him down the small hallway.

Castiel rips his arm away and is about to let loose his stress from dealing with the crowd by himself for the second time today when he notices Becky’s crumpled face. “Cas, I’m really sorry about the short notice, but could you please cover my dinner shift tomorrow? I can take your double on Monday if you want but I’m having an emergency and” Castiel stops the flow of too fast words with a raised hand. He had never seen her talking this fast without a smile and either Sam in front of her or one of those books she’s always going on about.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine I just really need” And then Castiel ceases to understand anything coming out of Becky’s mouth around the sobbing that is occurring.

“It will be  _fine_.” He says. He knows it sounds awkward and forced and he can feel his face scrunched up in some unnatural expression he is sure he’s never made, but he is a horrible liar and has no idea what’s happening. How does one handle crying? Castiel pats her shoulder like Ellen would, it might have been a little rough as Becky’s footing faltered beneath her. Becky just nods and looks up with hands clasped as if she were praying to him. “I can work tomorrow, it’s okay. If you can’t do Monday let me know but I would appreciate the day off. Ellen doesn’t like it when I put in too much over time.” The tears are gone and a grin is splitting the girl’s face.

“Thank you so much. Just give me one second to clean up and I will be right back.” She heads back over to the table to say something to Ellen and Jo, probably about the schedule change. He gives Ash the meal ticket that had slipped his mind until he was going back through the kitchen door and heads back into the crowd.

Fifteen minutes later and Becky still isn’t back. Castiel knows she is having some sort of crisis but her tables are complaining, his tables are over run and the bar is nearly full too. If she needed the rest of the night off she could have at least told him. He is seconds away from taking Dean’s offer of a break or maybe just asking for his help, but when he looks to the bar and sees him sit back down after covering for Jo and starting up a conversation with a customer he thinks better of it. Just because his day was getting worse and worse didn’t mean that he had to pull other people down too.

He was going back to the kitchen again just a few minutes later when he heard the crash. He turned back to the dining room to make sure everyone was alright when he saw Jo on the floor surrounded by broken glass and a man in a hostile stance standing over her. He marched over to the scene to help Jo and separate her from the jock if need be. Dean was getting up from the bar and he waved him off. His shift was over it was Castiel’s problem and he could handle it.

“Everything alright here?” he asked the customer while leaning down to offer Jo a hand up.

“Fuck no! She took my drink. I already paid for that.” The man was shouting

“Last time I checked ice means empty and grabbing my ass isn’t asking for your drink back!” Jo huffed at his side. The kid shoved her back down with both hands and that was it. Castiel’s hand was grabbing the other man’s throat and pushing him back against the nearest wall before he could even think.

“That is enough. Typically I would say the customer is always right and would have gotten you another drink but there is no excuse for putting your hands on her like that. Now you are going to leave this bar and you will never come back. If you ever see JoAnna again, you will show her some respect, is that understood?” It was a low grumble but it was clear from the faces of the people watching that everyone had heard. Castiel saw Dean going to the kitchen from the corner of his eye, probably to get Ellen. He gave the man another shove. “I asked if you understood.” The man desperately nodded his head and he let him go. He held his throat and coughed for a second before something flickered across his face and he lunged, fist drawn back. Castiel caught the inebriated man’s fist easyily enough and wrapped it around his back to slam him against the wall again.

“What is all this noise about?” Castiel turned to see Ellen at his side. She took in Jo cleaning up the mess on the floor and jerked her head to the exit in a sign he took as ‘walk this filth outta my place’.

“I can press charges for this!” He was yelling as Cas threw him to the dirt parking lot.

“I can have the cops over here right now and tell them what you did to my daughter and that you attacked the nice young waiter trying to escort you out. Honestly kid, I didn’t know Cas had it in him, Sheriff Mills loves this bastard, they are never going to take your side.” She nudged Castiel back inside and slammed the door. He saw Dean watching them from where he was helping Jo clean up. Ellen had to hit his arm to get his attention back. “Castiel, you don’t go tellin’ customers if they can or can’t come back without me. Hear?” Ellen’s eyes were on fire. Her full wrath targeted on him and all the little workaholic soldier could do was nod frantically and frightened at his boss. Her face calmed and a kind smile touched her lips giving him permission to breathe again. “That bein’ said, thank you for looking after Jo. Make sure that piece of shit doesn’t come back and cause more trouble.” He nodded again and she made her way to check on Jo and head back to the kitchen. A roar of applause greeted Castiel as he reentered his section. He made his way back to his last table to apologize for the hold up on their order and went straight back to give their ticket to Ash and take a breath but the kitchen door slammed and squeaked again as someone else entered behind him.

Dean slapped a hard hand on his shoulder. “Man, Cas. I have to say my money wouldn’t have been on you but that was badass.” Dean gave his shoulder one last squeeze as he edged around him to let Ellen by before the warm pressure on his shoulder was gone. “Come on Sammy, too exciting here tonight. Let’s go grab pizza.”

“Hey!” Ash and Ellen chimed together.

“Sorry guys. Seeya tomorrow.” He turned and gave Castiel another smile and a short wave.

Yeah, it was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 11 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	5. Ellen and Bobby Think They're All Idiots

**Ellen and Bobby Think They're All Idiots**

Jo was passing another El Sol Dean’s way when she saw Bobby come in and grumble something to himself, looking at the crowd with disappointment etched over his whole face. She caught Becky’s eye across the dining room and jerked her head to the kitchen. The night wasn’t going to slow down but Dean owed her one for this afternoon, she could take a short break. “Hey, you.” Dean looked up at her with a raised brow at the tone. As if he deserved any better today. Well…maybe it was karma for the mayonnaise yesterday. “Cover me for a second I need to grab something from the back.”

“I’ll go grab it.” Figures the man was so lazy he  _would_ make more work for himself.

“You can’t.”

“Oh really?” She did her best to look embarrassed.

“I need a pad.” He raised his eyebrows again and leaned over the bar to pull out a note pad from the piles of extras they had near the register. She sighed, he asked for it.

“A maxi pad you asshole!”

“Jesus Christ Jo! Keep your voice down!”

“Just shut up and watch the bar.”

“Fine! Go before you get your girly time all over the damn place.” Jo bit back a laugh all the way to the kitchen. He was such a baby. Becky rushed up to walk through the swinging door with her.

“Becky, can you go grab Bobby and ask him to come in here. I’ll get my mom.”

“Sure!” And she was off again. That girl was way too excited about this. She walked over to the only prep table Ash hadn’t spilt stuff all over and took a seat on it.

“Hey Ash, I know you’re busy but keep an ear open okay?”

“You got it little lady, what’s happenin’?”

“Just wait until Bobby and Becky get here. Sam, you want to grab my mom from the office?”

Sam flipped the last burger in line and took off his apron to head down the hall. “Hey, you’re stealing my assistant.”

“I don’t think he’s on the clock Ash, he’s just hiding from Becky and she should be here any sec.” And speak of the devil, the girl walked in with Bobby still muttering about his table being taken and the bar being over crowded.

“This better mean I can eat in here.”

“Sure thing Bobby, right at this table.” Jo got down and dragged a stool over from the closet full of extra chairs.

“Jo, why are you loitering in the kitchen when I got a room full of people that should be spending money on my beer?”

“Dean’s covering for a sec to make up for being late this morning.” Jo smiled. Her mom’s ‘I smell a rat’ face was making her nervous.

“Mhmm.” She looked down at Bobby and they shared a mutual expression of already being done with this situation. Sam spoke up with those giant puppy eyes in full effect, bless his heart, but they were not going to work on her mother.

“Ellen, it will just take a second. We were going to set up a bet and we wanted to know if you and Bobby wanted in on the action.” Sam gave his infectious smile to each party but that bounced off whatever force field the old and tired had too. It’s not exactly where she would have started but Becky didn’t seem to care as she bounced on the heels of her feet so Jo just let him take the lead.

“And what type of bet are we talking?

“Well, we wanted to mark up a calendar with how long we think it will take for Dean and Cas to finally get together.” Blunt, but effective. Sam looked between the two faces that didn’t seem at all phased before taking a deep breath. “Typical rules, the person closest to the actual date will get the pot.” He finished and leaned against the prep table.

A slow smile spread across Ellen’s face as she turned to Bobby. The man fished his wallet out of his back pocket and slapped two twenties onto Ellen’s offered palm.

Jo and Sam’s mouths fell open as they took in the exchange. “What the hell was that?” Jo screeched. Her mom chuckled at her and gave her that ‘oh JoAnna Beth’ smile she used whenever Jo was too slow to get the grown up joke when she was a kid.

“We already had this bet going, but poor Bobby here thought you guys wouldn’t figure it out until Dean and Cas finally got their heads out of their asses and gave the bar a show.”

Ash was laughing from where he was plating up some burgers and fry baskets. He hauled a new pickle jug off the shelf on the floor and added, “If it helps Bobby, I thought Dean liked me. He’s been acting real weird lately. Makes sense though.”

Bobby looked back to Ellen and held out a hand expecting one of the twenties back. “Not gunna happen Bobby. Majority rules remember?”

“Ash you idjit, throw a steak on for me will ya?”

“Sure thing Bobby.”

“Don’t be so excited, you’re payin’ for it.”

“I’ll go get a calendar.” Ellen was saying, making her way back to the office. Becky grabbed the food Ash finished plating and went back out into the dining room.

“So when did you figure it out, Bobby?” Jo couldn’t help but ask. She knew Bobby would keep it short, and nothing could be worse than what Becky had told her yesterday or when Dean came out in high school and Bobby had to talk his way through an ‘I don’t care who you’re dancing with just don’t do it in my house and I’ll still love ya’ speech. It had required far more whiskey than she could smell on him tonight and was nowhere near as eloquent.

Bobby gave his first smile of the evening, happy to rub his knowledge about anything in their faces even if it had to do with gay romance. “First hand shake. Dean was drooling ‘nough to fill the pitcher of beer you still haven’t brought me and I ain’t ever seen a boy just stand there and stare dumb like Cas did. Bet somebody coulda stabbed him and he wouldna moved.” Jo was laughing and Sam was still shaking his head like he couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it before today.

“Don’t let him talk to you like he was the first to know.” She slapped the Singer Salvage Yard calendar down on the metal table. “I was the one who pointed to the mess he’s talking about. You should’ve heard Cas in his interview two days before. Dean had walked in to get some change from the safe and I could tell the kid had just checked right out. Dean left and he stuttered over asking if he was Jo. I busted him up a bit saying something like no sex in the workplace. God I wish I had gotten a picture of that face, you’re not supposed to go that red.” Ellen had to stop around a laugh raking through lungs probably still full of her day’s pack of smokes. “Then, oh then he goes on about how he would never. How he was a virgin and I just wanted to tell him, oh honey I know but I was trying not to laugh in the kid’s face.” She laughed again and even Sam was bent over now. Becky was back and looking over the crowd like everyone had received a puppy but her at missing the joke. “And then when they first met, it was like Bobby said, all gooey eyed and droolin’, that was over a year ago. How did it take y’all so long?”

Jo was brushing tears from her eyes. “Becky and I have a plan to push them together a little faster. Maybe we won’t have to fill more than one calendar with bets.”

“Oh yeah?” Ash called, plating up more food as fast as he could cook it. “Share with the class, I want to know all the details before I place my bet, seein’ as I guess I’m the underdog in this one.”

“We want to get Castiel drunk.” Becky squeaked.

Sam looked down at her, “It would be alcohol with you.” At least Becky had the decency to blush about yesterday’s little Sam-fun.

“How are you going to do that? Dean asks him to stay all the time and he always has some excuse.” Ash asked.

“Becky’s going to trade shifts with him so he has a day off the night after Dean bartends. He won’t have an excuse.” Jo steals Becky’s thunder a bit. It was her part of the idea after all. “Still don’t know how we’re going to get him to switch though.” Jo added as everyone was laughing and throwing in their own ideas. Then Cas was walking into the kitchen looking like he was about to smite someone and Sam was throwing a panicked look around like he had been caught robbing a bank. Luckily Becky sprang into action and pulled Castiel down the hall.

All was quiet aside from the noise at the grill as everyone listened to Becky sob and plead with Castiel to trade days. She even cry talked through her reason for needing the switch and he was putty in her hands. The awkward ‘It will be _fine_ ’ is enough to have Sam clutching his stomach again in silent laughter and Bobby rolling his eyes to the sky as if asking what the hell he did to deserve being surrounded by such idjits. Cas flew back into the main part of the kitchen, dropped off a ticket and was gone again. All eyes were on Becky.

“I guess phase one of the plan is in effect!”

“That was pretty awesome.” Sam said and Becky could probably die happy now from the amazed look she threw his way.

“Well, to be a great cosplayer you need to be a great actress!” Becky stated and grabbed another tray from Ash.

“Yeah, but you couldn’t have traded with Cas for a day where Dean actually works nights?” Jo wanted to slap her. She was going to have to give up her money maker Saturday night shift too.

“Opps.” Becky said quietly. “I wasn’t thinking of that.”

“So what about Dean? How do I get him to stay until close tomorrow?” Sam looked between the two girls. Jo heaved a great sigh, she was going to have to give up those glorious tips and get up early for the lunch shift. This had better be worth it.

“I’ll get Dean to switch with me. He’s already terrified of my ‘ _girly time’_  it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“You’re giving up Saturday night? Why?” Sam said, giving her a look as though he expected her to ask for payment. She just rolled her eyes. She didn’t know what to say to that. Luckily Miss fangirl was still filling a tray and happy to have her thunder back at another big announcement.

“Jo has a crush on Cas and wants to get rid of it. I don’t really get it, I like having crushes.” Either the smoke from the grill was getting to her or she was winking at Sam. Didn’t matter, Sam was watching Ellen give Bobby one of the twenties back.

“Mom!”

“Can it.”

“Ellen… you bet on your daughter’s crush?”

“In my defense, I thought she was just oogling his fancy hair and would go back to eyeing Dean in a week.” When she finally met Jo’s eye she gave a guilty little shrug. “What? It was Bobby’s stupid idea.”

“Way to include us like we included you.” Sam was moping.

“Nice Sam.”

“Hey, Dean’s the one that thinks you two are dating!”

Jo couldn’t help but blush. Where the hell did he get that idea? Jo made room for Becky to rush behind them with her overloaded tray.

“Put me down for two weeks, I have to get back before Cas gets mad.” Jo marked the calendar with Becky’s name and put her own for this Sunday before following Becky back into the dining room. She had faith in the plan, and in Dean not being able to battle actual feelings  _and_ the top shelf whiskey she was planning on pouring down their throats.

Dean gave her a look that was half angry she was gone so long and half afraid to ask in case it was a  _girly time_  thing. She grabbed a cocktail tray, “I’m going to go grab some glasses. Two seconds.” Dean went back to his seat, it was worth a shot.

 

* * *

Dean was just planting his ass in an empty stool when he heard the crash. He turned around to see Jo on the floor with her tray. Klutz was the first thing that came to mind but then he saw the sporto hovering over her, not looking like he wanted to help her off the floor. He was up off the stool and striding over in typical bartender fashion before he could think. Cas stopped him with a wave and he backed down. He was off the clock and would probably cause more trouble than good, but he was still ready for a fight if Cas couldn’t handle himself.

He watched the guy like a hawk as the waiter asked him a question and helped Jo off the floor. Damn guy was too nice, this kid was obviously the instigator or Jo would have been off the floor rushing to clean up the mess by now. When he pushed Jo back down Dean was ready to go and half way to the scene before he realized Cas’ hand was around the guys throat and he was pinning him to the nearest wall. Holy shit! Who would have thought the little nerd had it in him? Dean couldn’t help but stare at Cas’ wiry muscles bulging under his shirt as he held the man against the wall. Hot damn.

And then he heard it. This rumble that sounded like a distant thunder got louder and fired words at the punk. “…Typically I would say the customer is always right and would have gotten you another drink but there is no excuse for attacking her like that. Now you are going to leave this bar and you will never come back. If you ever see Joanna again, you will show her some respect, is that understood?”

Dean understood. Dean remembered the way he treated Jo earlier and immediately felt horrible guilt. And he understood that he would never underestimate Cas’ ability to handle a situation ever again. He also understood that his pants were getting uncomfortable and it was probably because this was the hottest thing he had ever seen. He shook the thought out of his head and went to go get Ellen.

“Hey, your daughter just bit off more than she could chew and Cas is about to kill a paying customer.” His brother, Bobby and Ellen all looked at him like they were waiting for the punch line. “Seriously, Ellen. Cas is choking a guy against a wall and if you saw what I just saw you would not get in the middle of that.” The amusement left Ellen’s face and was replaced by the vicious mama bear they had all come to know and love.

“I bet you’d love to get in the middle of that.” Ash called over from the grill, not even turning around and Sam started laughing. Dean looked to Bobby as if he could explain what the hell that was but the old man’s shoulders were shaking too. What the fuck was going on around here lately?

He grabbed some rags and slammed the kitchen door against the wall as he went out to make sure Jo was okay and help clean up. As much as he wanted to ask if she was alright, he wouldn’t. He knew she wouldn’t like that. Jo could handle herself and if she wanted to talk or most likely yell about it he’d be there to take it and he would go give the guy a round two if she wanted. Hell, seeing her kneeling in a puddle picking up ice and glass, he was ready to go up to Cas and Ellen and offer to take care of it. He crouched down and whacked her hand away from the sharp pieces, giving her a rag instead. And then she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

Oh crap, here it comes.

“You okay?” She rolled her eyes but then looked back at him like she was going to feed him to Cas. He looked over to where Cas was pressing the man up against the wall with his body and gulped. Ellen only had to jerk her head and Cas was escorting the drunk out and sending worried glances to the woman following close behind him. Dean tried not to laugh. He could pin a guy twice his size to a wall but the thought of Ellen being mad was enough to make him go pale? It only took him a second to realize he would piss himself too. He looked back at Jo who was watching him with that same miserable look. “What do you need?”

“Actually…” God, why did he ask? That is not the voice you ask someone to kill with. “Can you trade shifts with me tomorrow?” Wait, what?

“What?” And then Jo looked down at the puddle she was sopping up and sniffled. Actually sniffled. “I just don’t think I can handle the rush tomorrow. Can you trade the night shift with me?” Jo actually thought she couldn’t handle something? This was new. He’d make fun of it but her shoulders were shaking and he was so going to kill that guy if he was stupid enough to come back. “Yeah, Jo. Don’t worry about it. He rested a hand on her back and got up so Ellen could swoop in.

Dean went back up to the bar to grab his keys and wallet. Hell, he might start a hunt for the dick right now. When he went back to the kitchen to grab Sam, Cas was right there and he couldn’t help it. He slapped a hand on the guy’s shoulder and moved around him so Ellen could get by with the dirty rags. “Man, Cas. I have to say my money wouldn’t have been on you but that was badass.” It was true. He had expected to have to jump in when that dick broke Cas’s pretty face. The thought hit him hard for a second.  _Pretty_? But when he looked down over Cas’ features, well yeah, he was. Dean squeezed his shoulder before letting go. Good, show manly support, don’t think about a guy’s face being pretty. Especially not one that might actually be able to kick your ass.

He headed over to Sam and tried to push off this whole weird friggin’ day with a joke. He just wanted to go home. Well, and beat in that guys face, but he was probably long gone by now. “Come on Sammy, too exciting here tonight let’s go grab pizza.”

“Hey!” Ash and Ellen both yelled at him as if they never ate outside The Roadhouse.

“Sorry guys. See ya tomorrow.” He couldn’t help turning around to give Cas another smile and all of a sudden is hand acted on its own and gave him a geeky wave too. Shit. He rushed out after that. Sam stopping him once the door was closed.

 

* * *

Sam pushed the calendar back at Bobby when Dean came into the kitchen. He had picked the middle of next month. His brother was pretty slow on the pickup with this stuff, but after the fight that happened maybe Dean wouldn’t be interested at all anymore. Then again, Ash could have had a point and maybe… God, what went wrong in his life that put him at work hours after his shift had ended betting on his brother’s sex life? Dean was talking to Cas again and was it weird that they were so close? Cas really didn’t have a grasp for personal space, but the restaurant was loud and you always kinda had to lean in and shout at each other. This was the kitchen though. Did they need to be so close? And  _get out from behind the bar it’s too crowded_ -Dean didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Huh. He was definitely thinking too much about this. Then again fifty bucks a head was on the line, maybe he should do some research fast and move his day. Technically they had all night to choose. He would wait until they were outside though.

As soon as the kitchen door closed behind them and they were in the dusty old back lot, Sam pounced. “Hey, I missed it. Was Cas really that scary?” Dean’s eyes lit up as if this was all he wanted to talk about.

“Dude he was terrifying. You should have heard what he told the guy, it was all calm but still man, scary. And in that voice of his, hell it was like watching someone get dragged to hell and judged for their sins. He was holding the guy up against the wall by the throat! With one friggin hand!” His voice pitched up like it did when Dean was fanboying over Batman or a Dr. Sexy plotline. Yeah, he was changing his day. He’d give his brother a week.

“Be right back, forgot something inside.” Dean looked disappointed his story got cut short but kept walking. Sam ran in and snatched the calendar from Bobby, erasing his name and moving it to the next Friday. “You guys should see the drool now.” He said, slapping down the Calendar. That pot was his.

He was about to go back and meet Dean when Jo came in wiping her eyes. She saw him and started laughing. “Dean made that same stupid face! I’m fine.” She said with a big grin. “I’m crying from laughing at Cas!” She said, wrapping her arm around the guy’s waist. Sam looked back at the calendar before shrugging it off, Cas didn’t gamble he probably wouldn’t even think to ask. “Show JoAnna some respect.” She said pitching her voice down before going back to the grill with hoots of laughter. Cas just ducked his head with an embarrassed smile. This guy? Really?

 

* * *

When they get home, Dean puts in a pizza order with no damn vegetables this time, thank you, before throwing the keys at his brother. Sam looks down at them while Dean races to the bathroom and slams the door, calling through it “No hot water for you tonight!”

“Dean!”

“Payback’s a bitch Sammy. Go pick up the pizza.” When he hears the front door slam, he turns on the water and gets undressed while waiting for the steam to fill up the room. Long friggin day. His neck still hurt when he turned the wrong way from sleeping funny and restocking the bar 3 times didn’t help. He felt bad for Jo, but man. Cas. That was something else.

He wondered if it was a regular thing for the guy. He was pretty weird sometimes, maybe he used to get beat up a lot, and didn’t that thought just break his over protective heart. He doubted it though. He was probably one of those coaster kids in the middle of the popularity contest. All smart and pretty but not social enough to be top dog. He probably spent most of his time hiding from his teen girl stalkers in the library. Or he had one of those bible names right? Maybe he went to one of those all boy Catholic prep schools. That would explain the v-card and why the hell was he thinking about this? And why was heat coiling in his stomach at the thought of his friend in one of those suits. Maybe it would have been blue to match his eyes. No, just the tie. The heat spread to wrap around his spine, chasing a shiver up to his shoulders.

New subject. Soap. Sam bought that weird white one again that didn’t smell anywhere near as good as the mountain spring or whatever the fuck Dean usually buys. He wondered what kind of soap Cas used when got home and tried to wash off the Roadhouse grease that would cling to them all for eternity. He ran the bar of soap down his chest and over his stomach. Why was he so sensitive today?

Screw it, maybe he just needed to get it out of his system. See something sexy- do something sexy. He didn’t need to think about it. It didn’t mean anything. He let the gravelly voice in his memory wash over him with the warm water. Fuck it. He wouldn’t see the guy for two days, he’d probably forget about it by Monday and already be onto someone else. Just a phase. Dean slammed his back up against the wall of the shower, arching up into his own hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 11 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	6. Dean is in hell... then Cas grips him tight

**Dean is in hell… then Cas grips him tight.**

“Dean?...Deeeean” Dean squints into the morning light, vaguely aware of something poking his face before the thing gets him right in the eye.

“Mwrhat?” Dean bats away his brother’s hand. Kid has no respect for sleeping people. Always hitting and pushing and poking. The one time Dean tried to wake Sam up with a gentle shake of his shoulder he got punched in the face.  _One of these days_.

“I’m taking the car.” Now Dean’s awake. That’s all he needed to do, really.

“What? No you’re not. Shit we’re going to be late again.”

“I have the double. I’ll come pick you up on my break.” Sam goes to leave and then turns back. “You traded with Jo, remember?”

And then he did. He remembered Jo on the floor crying and Cas kicking that asshat out. Or throwing him really. Grabbing him, pushing him against the wall. And he was glad he was on his stomach since his morning wood just decided to announce its presence. Maybe this wasn’t a phase. No, it was, he just needed more time to forget.

The shower probably didn’t help very much.

“Fine. One scratch and you are dead Sammy.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

The rest of his day crawled by. Another shower, cold one this time. No more of that bull shit. You can’t think about friends like that and Cas was a cool guy, he definitely wanted to be friends.

Besides that, if Dean had learned anything from the fill in jobs he’d taken here and there to make ends meet it was that you don’t sleep with your coworkers. Especially in such a small group. And this small group was his family. If he did anything to ruin that for himself, or for Sam who was too young when their mom died to even remember what a family was, he would never forgive himself. On top of that, it was Cas. Little geeky, virgin, who can apparently kick your ass - Cas. Guy was not interested, and from the way he looked at and talked about and defended Jo all the time, he was probably straight. Dean’s stomach rolled in something he was going to call hunger.

Breakfast and lunch both came from a box because Sammy had the car. He should have just woken up early to give him a ride, it’s not like he could have gone back to sleep after. He paid bills he didn’t want to think about and then picked up the book Becky gave him for his birthday last year. He would never admit he was actually reading it, but he had to say, the big brother was awesome. The guy had a few too many chick flick thoughts though. He was glad Sammy didn’t leave him behind for college. He’d probably be sharing Ellen’s basement with Ash.

That thought was scarier than the rapey ghost.

Soon enough there was a knock at the front door. Jesus Christ, if Sam locked the keys in the car again it would be time to put the Nair back in his shampoo. A panic attack nearly began when he though his brother may have left the car running – perfect prey to be stolen in their shitty part of not quite town.

He hauled open the door… and it wasn’t Sam. The blue eyes caught his and shit he was sleeping. When did that happen? Two minutes ago he was reading and it wasn’t even boring. It was about shooting Casper in the face

“Hello, Dean.” This wasn’t good. Now he was dreaming of the guy.

“Uh, hey Cas.”

“Are you ready to go?” Go?

“Go where?”

Castiel smiled. It was a little twitch of lips. He would have missed it if he wasn’t staring a hole through the poor guy’s face. “To work. Sam said you needed a ride.” Castiel must have seen the shock and confusion on his face. “He also said he was going to call you.”

“Yeah. No. What? But, it’s Saturday. You don’t work Saturdays.” Dean stated like it was an unbreakable rule, not like he himself was working a Saturday night when he hadn’t in god knows how long.

“Becky couldn’t work tonight.”

“Why?” Dean was trying really hard not to freak out. This was looking less like a dream and more like he was about to get into a guy’s car who he had just been having really inappropriate thoughts about the night before. In that bathroom. Right there. The one Cas had a clear view of from the door.

“An emergency, she wasn’t very specific.” He tilted his head in that cute little, NOT CUTE, he wasn’t cute. Who was cute? “Are you alright?” God he hoped those eyes couldn’t read his mind. They bore into his and he wasn’t so sure. Great, not even left the house yet and he was already sweating. That’s going to go over well on the  _20 minute_  car ride.

“Yeah, fine. I’m good. Let’s go.” Dean grabbed his coat, closing the door behind him and squeezing by the man into the hall. He was already half way down the stairs before he heard Cas start to follow.

Dean was in hell. He knew that damn box of Sam’s healthy glutten free fake cheese mac and cheese tasted weird. But how do you really know when it never tastes right to begin with? Too late now. He died and he was in hell. How else would he have ended up in a traffic jam, trapped in a friggin Toyota listening to talk radio next to the awkward little virgin he had jerked off to the night before? He was in hell. This was hell.

Dean tries to look like he in no way shape or form had happy time in the shower while thinking about those eyes and lips and that stupid bed head hair. Cas drags a hand through the thick locks and that is so not helping. He looks over to the driver’s side of the dash board to check their speed. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. They aren’t even at 10mph. He looks over to the steering wheel and it’s really hard to not stare at those long pale fingers gripping and flexing over it. No. He did not have a happy happy shower pretending his hand was that one. Nope. He goes back to staring at the radio.

“Sorry. Sometimes I forget not everyone likes talk radio. It reminds me of home.” Cas bites his bottom lip, brows crinkling as he looks back and forth between the presets and the road, pressing a random button.

Seriously though, he had leaned under the warm spray against one shower wall and painted the other. It was great.

It took Dean far too long to process what he just said. “Home?”

“Never mind, it’s… not relevant.” Dean nods. Safe topic gone, back to silence and whatever the fuck classical music is happening. The traffic finally seems to even out and Cas reaches over to change gears. Dean barely gets a chance to thank whatever god is showing him mercy when those fingers brush against his knee. He admits he nearly flew through the roof, but he will never own up to that sound.

“Sorry.” Cas mumbles.

Right, no god. He’s in hell.

* * *

Ash doesn’t get to see a lot of the action. Today he sees Dean stomp his dirty boots all around the kitchen floor he washed this morning and give his brother the death glare Vader probably used under that freaky helmet thing when he was mind choking people. Ellen’s gunna have his ass for not cleaning the floor. No way he’s not going to sell Dean out this time. Sam’s just laughing while pinning up another meal ticket and Castiel walks in behind him looking like he’s going to war. Dude doesn’t have enough days off. Ash lives at the Roadhouse but what does he do? It’s bar food not brain surgery.

Bun, burger, cheese, bacon, sauce, pickles, bun. Fry the fries. Dunk onions in Ellen’s left over-beer-of-the-week batter and fry those too. Flip a steak. Dump cheese on nachos. Scrape down the chicken wing corner of the grill if anyone ever orders them after the first time they try ‘em with that hot as hell sauce. And don’t forget the damn pickle on the side. Only the regulars come for the food and only the stupid think they’re getting much choice in a middle of nowhere bar. It only ever changes up around the holidays and then, the only ones that still eat there are treated like family because they probably are or at least close enough to it.

Slow days are the best, he has time to doodle equations in ketchup on the buns while he waits for the burgers to be done. Tonight – bun, burger, cheese, bacon, sauce, pickles, bun, fries. Bun, burger, cheese, no bacon who gets no bacon?, sauce, pickles, bun, fries, bun, burger, cheese, bacon, sauce, pickles, bun…fry more fries. Who can blame him for never knowing what’s going on? He used to see numbers in his sleep, now he builds burgers in it.

Still, he’s been keeping an eye on things and he just doesn’t see it. Ash used to tease Dean about Castiel because he thought he hated the guy. Before last night, he thought they were always annoyed with each other, having constant stare offs and what not. And the guy never stays for a beer. Who does that if he likes the people he works with? He bets it wasn’t going to happen.

Jo burst in calling for her mother. If she liked the dude so much she should just go for it. He seemed polite enough, maybe she could get the stick out of his ass and show him how to have fun. Guy needed to have a little party time.

Sam came in to check on his order, Ash just pointed to the fryer. “Giver two seconds.”

Sam nodded and checked the door behind him before leaning over the counter separating the grill from the kitchen. “So, when did you bet?”

“Nothing man. I turned to the last page and put my name under not gunna happen.”

“Seriously?” Sam looked at him like the time he let him know he got kicked out of MIT. Nice to know that and this were of equal importance.

“Yeah man. When we’re all on our death beds and Dean is long gone from too many of these burgers and Cas becomes the suit he’s got the sense of humor to be, I’m gunna take all of your money.” He drains the oil from the fry basket and dumps the fries in a larger pan, scooping up some for the last burger and passing the plates to Sam.

“You can’t do that man. You can say they still won’t be together at the end of the year but you can’t just say never.”

“And why not?”

“Because the bet would never end!”

“Well fine, easier for me. I will get all your money when they still aren’t together at the New Year’s party.”

“You’re on, Ash. This is going to be my biggest project this semester.” Ash just laughs and watches him go. Kid’s crazy.

* * *

After the 40 year car ride, Cas’ p.o.s. comes to a stop by the dumpster and Dean jumps out. He’s half way to the door when he thinks it was probably rude and turns around just enough to shout, “Come on Cas, we’re late!” He guesses that’s enough explanation as he hears the other man jogging behind him to catch up. He sees Sam in the kitchen and gives him his very best prepare yourself for revenge look. Sam gives him his why puppy dog face and Dean has to move on before he caves.

At least it was busy again. Nothing to take your mind off sex like beer dripping down Bobby’s flavor savor and college kids ordering shots he’s never heard of. It’s only a few hours before the kitchen closes and Cas is wiping down the only bare surface in his section. He walks by the bar bringing a few plates to the kitchen and Dean doesn’t know what comes over him. Before he can think he’s saying his customary, “Cas, stay for a couple beers?” His throat tightens when the man turns back and hits him with that would be smile again. He shrugs a little too stiffly and Dean’s stomach drops.

“I do have tomorrow off. Let me finish cleaning up and I’ll be right back.” Dean tells his face to smile but it feels too tight. What the hell are they going to talk about? Jo reaches over the bar to whack him in the arm and point to her glass.

“That’s cool. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him drink. Give me another beer then I’m making him do shots!”

“Go easy on the guy, he looks like a light weight.”

“I don’t hire light weights Dean, remember your interview?” Ellen is giving him one of those looks and oh yeah, Dean remembers his interview. He damn near got alcohol poisoning trying to prove he could hold his liquor. She didn’t make Sam do it though, he just figured it was a prank.

“I remember the 48 hour hangover. Why? How much did he drink?”

“More than you freckles!” Ellen was laughing at some memory and Dean didn’t think he wanted to know.

“Yeah, well that was a long time ago, we’ll see.”

* * *

Last call was almost here and the crowd had dwindled down to a few stragglers’ and the locals that really must think of this place as a home to still be here. Sam was left scrubbing down God knows what under a table. It didn’t smell like puke, maybe it was stepped on beer and onion rings? He didn’t really want to think about it. He wrapped his apron around the rags and hauled the mess to the laundry bin by the back door. He could go for a beer now. Long day and he was probably going to have Dean bitch at him all the way home for taking the car and then not letting him know his secret crush was on his way over.

Sam got to the bar and squeezed in beside Jo to see her dragging a shaker over two rows of ten shot glasses. She looked between Cas and Dean, “Ready boys?” Woah, he saw his brother drink Wild Turkey for breakfast once but Cas? This was going to be funny. “You got the emergency room on speed dial mom?”

“With you jack asses? Always.”

Dean clapped his hands together, “Alright, let’s do this.” He nodded to Cas who just looked bored and took another gulp of his beer before picking up a shot glass. Sam huffed out at laugh at the poor guy, he obviously did not know how this game was going to turn out. Or maybe he was just going to give up after one. They clinked their first shot glasses together and down the hatch. He threw it back just as fast if not faster than Dean, turned his glass over and went for the next..and the next..and the next. Dean got to six and started coughing. “What the fuck is that Jo?”

“Little bit of this and that…fuck load of Jack.” She said, eyes on Cas as he took six, seven, eight. All eyes were on him as he did nine and ten, then reached over to Dean’s and gave him a smile before finishing the shots he left behind.

Sam couldn’t help but notice Dean watching the whole thing with an expression he  _never_ needed to see on his brother’s face. He leaned over and whispered to Jo, “What day did you have again?”

Jo smiled back at him. “Tomorrow.” She said with a wink. Cas flipped over the fourteenth glass and wobbled on his chair a bit.

“I think I’m starting to feel something.” He announced before going back to his beer.

“Son of a bitch.” Dean breathed, watching him finish the glass and push it towards him. “Jo, I need eight more shots, I can’t let him kill me like that.” Cas smiled.

Sam sighed, no beer for him tonight.

* * *

Dean couldn’t see straight let alone walk straight by the time Ellen was hauling Cas’ ass to the back door. He remembered thinking he was still walking pretty fast for not being able to walk straight before he realized that his ass was being hauled by Sam. Ellen left them at the back door and told Sam to get them home safe. Of course Sam would get him home safe, he was such a good kid.

“Cas! There is no way you can drive home man, come on.” And Dean is leaning against his baby watching Sam run after him to his car.

“M not driving, m sleeping.” Cas tells him as if, yeah that’s completely normal.

“Caaaaaaaas! You can’t sleep in a Toyota!” Dean is yelling across the parking lot. “Come sleep with me.” He would worry about how that sounded in the morning. Right now it was pretty funny. “I mean my car. Come sleep in my car with me.” He really didn’t need to convince him, his big foot brother was already dragging Cas back to the Impala and Dean was just watching like a kid being brought an extra birthday present.

“Where do you live Cas?” Sam is asking him as he’s helping the guy into the back seat and Dean is listening because he’s very interested. Maybe he lived in a giant library or probably a whisky distillery with the skills he had.

“I can’t go home.” Cas is mumbling and Dean is getting in the back seat too because the door is open and it’s just easier.

“Why?” Sam’s asking, making sure they both have their seat belts on, the loser, and getting in the front.

“The lanlord locks a gate. Can’t go home.”

 _What kind of dick does that?_  And he must have said it out loud because Cas was talking again.

“He just has very little patience iffu don follow the rules.” Dean reaches up the hand in between them and ruffles his hair.

“That’s okay. He’s a douche. You can come home with us.” His hair feels nice. If his arm weren’t so heavy, he’d probably still be touching it. He moves the arm across the back of the bench seat instead and Cas rests his hand on top of it.

“Thank you Dean.”

“Mhmm.” He’s humming and then he must have fallen asleep because he’s in the parking lot at his apartment and Sam and Cas are gone. “What?” He’s looking around before he figures out how to unbuckle himself and is crawling out of the car. Sam is running back to him.

“Sorry. I took Cas up first because you were out cold.”

“Whatever, you left me bitch.”

“Come on. Inside.”

“You’re supposed to say jerk.”

“Yeah, yeah, come on ya big heavy jerk.” Heavy. Sam obviously never tried to carry himself up the two flights after he was drinking.

“I’mna fat.” Sam is just laughing and it makes Dean mad. He’s not fat he’s just not a ‘use my 6pack to julienne my veggies’ man like Sam. But he’s not fat. He probably said that out loud too because Sam’s calling himself veggie man. He rolls his eyes. The shit he’s been through today. Sam throws him down on the couch and says he’ll be back with a blanket. Dean says fuck that and walks to his room. Someone’s in his bed. He really doesn’t care.

“Caaas, move over.” The lump under his covers shuffles to the other side of the bed and takes all the blankets with him. He still doesn’t care. Dean flops on the mattress and doesn’t move until he wakes up freezing. He tries to pull the covers back and something comes with them. It’s warm so he doesn’t really mind.

When 11:00 rolls around the next day, and Dean can tell because Sam is banging around like the moose he is getting ready for work and the sun is in the perfect spot in the sky to shine through his second story bedroom window and burn holes through his retina, he wakes up but can’t sit up because something’s on his chest. He looks down and just sees a mop of black hair and all the blankets from his bed in one big nest. His feet are cold, he thinks before the panic sets in.

Oh crap that’s Cas. Cas is in his bed, on top of him. Did they do anything? Why is Cas in his bed? Then he remembers. He’s in hell and the massive drum solo in his brain agrees with him. Sam is a horrible little brother and he is in hell and Cas drank him under the table.

He tries to wiggle out from under the furnace that is the source of his panic at the moment, but Cas just tightens the arm around his waist and the hand on Dean’s shoulder grips tighter and it’s okay, it’s not real life, it’s hell. Cas nuzzles closer to fill the little distance Dean may have gained.

Hell’s not so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 11 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	7. Did we just become best friends?

**Did we just become best friends?**

Dean is just drifting back to sleep when he hears the latch on his bedroom door click. It’s probably just Sam saying good bye, his eyes don’t need to be open for that. Then he hears the camera phone click and remembers that the blissful heat surrounding him is a living, breathing Cas. Shit.

“Whoa!” Sam hollers. Completely on purpose, he was standing there long enough to take a picture, he’s just being an ass now. Cas flies off of Dean and so do the covers. Dean finally opens his eyes so he has a better idea of where to reach for the blankets. At least they’re both still fully dressed. That takes some of the earlier panic away. For some reason Sam thinks this is even more funny and snaps another picture before running out of the apartment.

“Your brother. He’s a morning person isn’t he?” Dean takes the opportunity to steal more blankets and roll onto his stomach.

“Only when he wants to be a pain in my ass.” Dean grumbles into the pillow.

Cas flops back down on the other side of the bed and for some reason the distance feels even more awkward than being trapped under him. He throws an arm over his eyes and lets out a long, weary sigh. “Does this mean we need to get up now?”

Dean groans and throws the blanket over his head. “Five more minutes.”

“Oh thank God. If we did I think I was going to die.” There’s rustling around and Dean assumes Cas must be curling up to go back to sleep. He wasn’t taking that cover off his head until the sun got out of the god damned window. “Remind me next time why I don’t drink.”

Dean can’t help smiling as he drifts back to sleep.

* * *

Sam marches into The Roadhouse for his double and grins at Ellen as she’s refilling salt shakers and Jo who’s reorganizing the bar. He shakes his head, opens up the first picture from this morning of Cas and Dean curled around each other in bed and huffs out a laugh before sliding it across the bar so the girls could see.

“Yes! Pay up everybody!” Jo screams as she picks up the phone and shoves it in her mom’s face. Sam takes the phone back to bring up the next picture and shows her with a smile.

“Sorry Jo. You got them too drunk to do anything but pass out and have me haul them up the stairs.” Jo’s face drops and her mom chuckles.

“Son of a bitch! I gave up my Saturday tips for nothing.”

Ellen pats her head. “Don’t get so upset hun. They still have the whole day.”

Sam pockets his phone and takes some of the shakers from Ellen to set up his section. He did strand Cas and his brother at the apartment, but he was pretty sure they were too miserable for anything to happen. On the other hand, he was next on the calendar so hopefully they still had a day together and some small miracle would occur to light a spark by Friday.

“So are we waiting until all the bets have passed before we can write in another or just until our bet has passed?”

“Jo, you know the rules, one bet unless all bets pass and there is no winner.” Ellen is looking pretty smug wiping up some spilled pepper. “And it’s going to be a long wait because I bet Christmas.”

“That’s nothing. Ash bet it wouldn’t happen before New Year’s.” Sam says as he collects some more salt and pepper shakers. Both women’s faces drop at that.

“Fine, I say that you can write in another bet once yours has past  _but!_  you have to pay double to get back in the pool.” Ellen says, looking over both of them. “Agreed?”

“That’s a hundred dollars!” Jo groans.

Sam shrugs, it sounded fair enough to him. If he didn’t win for Friday, he would think about putting together a plan of his own.

* * *

It was nearly 3pm when Dean finally pulled the blanket down to peer at the time on his alarm clock. The glowing letters shot through his eyes and the pain that vibrated in his head was enough to have him gagging. Dean flung himself out of bed and into the door frame before practically running to the bathroom that was a lot further away than he remembered it being. He heaved into the bowl that in his nauseous state his mind registered really needed cleaning until he felt like his stomach had never been so empty.

The acid rolled and burned in his gut and his muscles clenched and ached as he flushed the toilet and leaned back against the tub. Cas was shuffling into the room and Dean just wanted to cover his face at the embarrassment of being drunk under the table, crawling into bed with the guy who drank him under the table and then nearly puking on him. He would give anything to crawl back into the warm bed and sleep until the only thing he associated with the word ‘hangover’ was Bradley Cooper.

“I feel like I drank an entire liquor store last night.” Cas said as he turned on the sink to splash some water on his face. Dean thought back to him throwing back shots like they were the same water.

“You practically did. How the hell does someone who never drinks build up that kind of tolerance?” Cas laughs as he sits up on the counter and wets the hand towel before throwing it at Dean. Dean just grunts a thank you and throws it over his face, holding in a dry heave at the smell of the cheap hand soap that sticks to it.

“When I was growing up I was raised with a glass of wine at dinner every night. And then in college I put those skills to good use to get into a fraternity.” Cas in a  _frat?!_

“Growing up? Like when you were a kid? God, I had my first beer at like 12, I thought that was messed up.” He pulls the towel down to wipe his mouth and sees Cas nod. “And you were in a frat?”

“My brothers had joined. I wasn’t a very active member.” Dean knew he was staring. “I thought it would look good on resumes.” Cas gave a stiff shrug and Dean made himself look away.

“I just never would have guessed, that’s all.” He tried to steer the subject towards something less awkward for Cas to talk about. “So, raised by winos or something?” That probably wasn’t the best choice. He blamed alcohol.

“Well, my foster family was very religious.” Dean had no idea Cas was adopted. That’s something they sorta kinda had in common. Not really. He moves his neck to a cooler spot on the tub and can’t help but think of his little fantasy a couple nights ago. He clears his throat and has no control over what comes out next. “Religious, right. I bet you went to one of those Catholic schools with the uniforms huh?” Smooth. The silence stretched on for a minute before he turned his heavy head to look at Cas and he was doing that head tilt thing again. Dean smiled and it seemed to be the key to get Cas talking again.

“No, actually, I was homeschooled.”

“Oh.” Was all Dean could think to say. It did explain a lot. The weird social skills, hell that explains pretty much every weird thing.

“Why do you ask?” And this time Dean is silent for a beat before the word vomit is rushing out again.

“No reason. So did you just stay at home all the time? If I’m being honest I probably just would have watched TV all day. What did you actually do?”

“Well…” Cas seems to struggle for a moment, deciding which question to answer first. “There was a group of us that were all homeschooled so we would go to different houses sometimes. We didn’t have a television.”

And that’s it. That  _something_  clicks in Dean that means Cas is officially under his wing and he will teach him everything he needs to know. The guy went to college, he was in a frat, but he never got any pop culture references? He must have been an incredibly inactive member or in the most boring frat of all the time.

“Sam took the car.”

Cas furrows his brow at the change of subject. “I assumed…”

“So we’re trapped here.” The furrowed brows shoot up and Dean needs food because his brain is still swimming in the effect of the shots and his stomach in acid. “I’m going to show you everything about TV.” He gets up, washes his hands and face, trying not to splash Cas still sitting on the counter.

“I have a television now, Dean.”

“Doesn’t matter. All the best shows came out when you were a kid, you missed the A-team and probably a ton of other stuff.” Dean didn’t wait for an answer before he marched out of the room to set up Sam’s X-box to get Netflix.

* * *

A few episodes in and Castiel can’t help but love the show Dean is making him watch. The team is put together and everyone is good at their own thing with their own personalities and quirks. He has a hard time picking his favorite character. But what he likes most is Dean telling him of the times he would watch the show as a kid and force his dad to teach him tactical moves from when he was in the Marines. Of how he has an irrational fear of flying just like B.A. and how after admitting it, Dean gets embarrassed and goes quiet for a little while. Castiel has to tell him he has an irrational fear of falling to get him to talk again and Dean laughs because he thinks he’s talking about tripping and falling so he has to explain that he is just afraid of falling off high things. Dean smiles and shares another memory of how he used to have a Mr. T t-shirt when he was a kid but he, Sam, and Ash had been throwing rocks like grenades from trees in the woods and the branch he was on broke.

“I fell pretty far and hit my head going down. It wasn’t bad but it bled a lot and I had to walk all the way home. The shirt got ruined but, man, I was so afraid of getting in trouble with my dad that I didn’t even notice or care until about a week later when I saw him rip it up and use it to wash his car!”

Castiel had to chuckle at the mortified face Dean gave him. He looked so young when he was reminiscing, and he could only imagine it was the same face he made when he saw his father scrubbing the mud off the rims with his favorite shirt. He only laughed more at the rumble that echoed from Dean’s stomach when the man went to speak again.

“Yeah, we have like  _nothing_  in the house. Want to order something in?” Castiel’s own stomach growls in response and Dean laughs, clicking a button to skip the credits and go to the next episode. “Guess that’s a yes.”

Cas gives a one shoulder shrug. “I know a new place nearby that delivers.”

“Oh yeah, what kind of food?”

“I think they’re known for their hot wieners, but they have burgers and pie too.”

“What?” Castiel didn’t know what to make of Dean’s reaction. Suddenly everything got very serious. He knew Dean liked burgers, he ate them at The Roadhouse all the time.

“Yeah. They have great burgers. My neighbor Alfie works there.”

“No, did you just say they deliver pie?”

“…Yes…”

“What is this place called?”

“Weiner Heaven, I think.”

It only took Dean a few minutes to find the number and place an order. One more episode of the A-team and Alfie was at the front door delivering their hangover cure.

Castiel knew he liked the burgers, but he had never tried the pie. When Dean tongued the crumbs off his fork and leaned his head back against the chair to moan around the bite of apple in his mouth, Castiel was torn between regretting that decision and pushing his own piece across the space between them so he could maybe hear that noise again. He must have been blushing when Dean looked back at him before going in for another bite, but he just hid his face in his burger.

“Good?” Castiel slid one of the burgers across the table for Dean to try.

“Oh my God.” He said around the bite. It wasn’t as good a reaction as the pie, but he was glad Dean approved of his choice of where to eat.

“I know. These make me very happy.” He smiled into another bite. Dean just laughed before devouring the rest of his burger.

“Cas?” Castiel looked back up into Dean’s eyes praying the man hadn’t noticed he was watching his mouth or the blush burning his ears. “We don’t talk much about anything but work do we?”

Castiel gulped and swallowed down some more soda before his nerves settled enough where he could speak again. “No. I suppose not.”

Dean continued to watch him as if waiting for something. “So…”

“So what Dean?”

“Tell me about stuff.” Dean was smiling and Castiel didn’t think he could ever say no to that. Maybe he finally had a real friend. Or at least someone who wanted to try. But of all the people to be a  _friend,_ why did it have to be Dean?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter edited on 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	8. Sam Started It! (part one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam starts a [Cas specific] prank war to try and get Dean and Cas to notice each other at work and not just on the couch while Sam's trying to study.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part one - unfortunately real life problems happened so I had to split this chapter up into two parts. Hopefully I will finish the second part tonight or tomorrow, but just in case I didn't want to make you guys wait so have half! :D enjoy

**Sam Started It! (part one)**

Sam thought the drunk plan had worked surprisingly well. He knew his 'trap them together in the apartment' plan was better though. He was going to make it his mission for the next few days just to get them to talk more. And maybe exaggerate a few things they said about each other. Just give them little pushes. He was going to ignore how much he felt like Becky. Maybe he'd add in a few pranks. Pranks could be fun, technically trapping them in the apartment together until he got home from work was already a prank.

He didn't want to start a war though. And nothing that would get them fired. Not that Ellen would actually fire them, but you know. Her  _I'm disappointed_ face was almost as terrifying as her  _you're dead_ face - both of which he wanted to avoid. Especially the yelling part that came right after.

Still, Sunday night he got home to see them both on the couch looking pretty comfortable in a fast food/A-team/actual hangover.

"Cas has a place that delivers pie, Sam. Delivers. Pie." Dean was probably in love already.

Since then, it was slowly becoming a routine to get woken up after Dean’s bar shift by one movie marathon or another from those who didn’t have 8am classes. Well, Sam didn’t either, but still, he had to get up before 10 most days.

But even with the new 1am movie club meetings at their place every night, the next day at work it was like nothing had changed. Maybe the only thing holding Dean back from being this comfortable at work was that it was  _work_. Sam could think of a few things that would make work more like play. When Wednesday rolled around and he was writing a paper at 3am to the sound effects of A New Hope instead of getting the sleep he needed, Sam decided it was time to act and definitely time to take advantage of the 24 hour pharmacy down the street.

"Castiel, what's your favorite color?" Both Dean and Cas looked at him like he just started speaking Latin before Cas smiled at the attention. And Dean was watching him and smiled too. They were going to be so sappy once they figured it out.

"Um. I've never really thought about it." He looked back to Dean who shrugged and then at Sam again with his ears a little red. He didn’t mean to put the guy on the spot, who doesn’t have a favorite color? "Green, I guess." Dean's eyes were green. Eugh, yeah, total sap train.

Sam tried to play it cool just shrugging his shoulders and said, "Okay." He thought he got away with it as he suffered through a good 15 minutes of Vader and the gang before making his way to the door.

"Where you going Sam?"

"Store. Need anything?" Dean looked at him and his brother so knew something was up. Sam was going to have to buy extra and cover his bases which was kind of a waste but hopefully worth it. "No... You're being weird."

"Tomorrow I have class with Jess." Sam said, because he was never a great liar but half-truths and playing his brother with the  _don’t tease me I'm your little brother_ face was child's play. He closed the door behind him and hoped the incorrigible glee on Dean's face was enough to cover the scent. Even if it didn't, Dean would probably never check his shampoo.

* * *

When Dean woke up he was groggy as hell but it was more from the twisted dreams he had than the lack of sleep. He shuffled to the bathroom and barely had the energy to pee before he stepped into the cold spray of the shower. Today was going to suck.

He hated Thursdays and the friggin’ college assholes and their ridiculous shot requests. Except purple nurples, those were a pleasant surprise. But what the fuck was a midnight melt down? And who expected bars to have whipped cream and sprinkles and cotton candy for their fancy ass shots? That’s not alcohol, that’s an alcoholic looking for a Starbucks.

He tried not to dwell as he pressed his forehead to the cool tile and blindly washed up. His shampoo was extra foamy today but that was probably because he was still half under the water. Then he remembered how Sam was being weird last night and his eyes flew open to see the green tinted foam circling the drain. He rinsed off as fast as he could before practically ripping the shower curtain down to get to the mirror. "Sam!" he roared. What the fuck did he do to deserve green hair? Dean scrubbed at his face, the dye thankfully came off his skin pretty easily but wasn't budging from his eyebrows. Shit. He went back in the shower and lather, rinse, repeated with Sam's shampoo about five times before he noticed the foam isn’t green because the dye was coming out, the kid had spiked his own goddamn shampoo too. "Son of a bitch!" He tried soap but it was too late. He managed to save his skin and somewhat get it out of his eye brows and just did a close shave before trying to rescue his shadow, but it was  _in_  his hair. He threw a freshly green stained towel around his hips before stomping out to the kitchen to stare down Sam while the dick innocently drank his lunch break  _latte_. "Sam."

"Nice change, Dean." He tried to hide his smirk behind the take out cup but couldn’t stop choking on the laughter. "I'm sure  _Cas_  will love it." Oh, it was on. Sam was friggin’ dead. He still had some itching powder in his room and he was so not afraid to use it.

"Shower's yours. Don't forget to grab new shampoo bitch." Dean changed, dug out the itching powder that he hoped didn’t have an expiration date – or maybe he hoped it did, whichever was worse and waited to hear the water turn back on. His brother still laughed every once in a while in the shower while Dean made for Sam's bedroom, dumping the whole packet in his underwear drawer before quietly making his way back to the kitchen and washing his hands. He let the tap stay running on hot so Sam would think a freezing shower was his retaliation. They had done the itching powder in the underwear trick before, but it was never going to get old. He listened to Sam yelp and swear his way through the rest of the shower as he got ready for work. "Have fun at school, Sammy!" He yelled, heading to work before the shit hit the fan. He didn’t want to hear it, his fucking hair was green. Sam was lucky to still be alive.

* * *

The itch never started right away. Just this feeling kind of like when a hair falls down the back of your shirt. Noticeable. Irritating. Impossible to find. Eventually unignorable. It wasn’t until the middle of his linguistics gen-ed, right next to the gorgeous girl he's been trying to sound smart and professional around, that the feeling kicks in fully and he's about to burst out of his skin.

Sam tried not to move, not to make a noise, not to bolt right out of class, but it obviously wasn’t working because Jess is leaning against him and whispering, "You look like they just changed your favorite cotton pads to have the horrible new foam liners." Well, that served as a distraction. For about a second. Sam’s pretty sure he must be beet red. He's simultaneously plotting Dean’s murder and feeling sorry for the guy for every time he laughed when Jo talked about her period to Dean and his brother would just about die and then Jess is talking again. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to give you a stroke. I'm nice, I swear. I'm just a little bit of an over sharer when talking to cute boys. Not that you're a _boy_  ...I mean..."

Sam decided to save her the trouble. Maybe he was a hero, more likely he was just ecstatic that he was in 'cute boy' territory and he was probably an over sharer too. "My brother put itching powder in my underwear."

Jess laughed out loud and the entire class had their attention for one horrible moment where Sam tried miserably to stop squirming. "Sorry. Umlauts. Gets me every time." Sam held back a laugh of his own at Jess' attempt at a save. "Brothers. That's horrible. Though, in all honesty, I'm probably going to steal that prank for my own."

"You have a brother?"

"Oh yes. The happiest dentist the world has ever seen."

"Sounds like a horrible person."

Jess’ nose crinkles up in the cutest little smirk he's ever seen. He hates his brother. They were finally talking about something other than class and he probably looked like he had crabs or had to pee and couldn’t hold it like a kid or something. Oh,  _and_  she knew he had itching powder in his underwear. She might not know the horrible rashed mess that was going to be, but she probably had a picture. He hated Dean. Screw getting him and Cas together before tomorrow, prank war was on.

"Is it bad if he's kind of my hero?"

Sam had to sigh. Because yeah, even though Dean was a dick, he was his brother and the guy had practically raised him and like it or not, the prank was probably why Jess was talking to him. Okay, simultaneous prank war and getting Dean and Cas together plan. "No. I know exactly what you mean." She smiled at him, and yeah. He's definitely distracted. The world could end and Lucifer himself could pop out of the ground and pull him into the pit and Sam wouldn’t care because Jess was smiling at him.

"So. How are you going to get him back?" Sam must pull a face because her eyes go wide, "Oh! You started it! Why?" She whispered enthusiastically.

"I'm trying to get him to admit his feelings for this guy we work with."

"That's honorable."

"Before my date in a bet pool.”

Jess almost looked impressed. "And profitable." She went back to listening to the lecture for a minute while Sam went back to fidgeting. "Where do you work?" She whispered.

"The Roadhouse. It's a bar down on Doors Street, about twenty minutes out of town."

"They aren’t hiring are they?"

They were hiring actually. Gordon was supposed to come back when school started but he got in trouble with the police over the summer. Jess probably didn’t want to work the grill, but maybe Ellen could move Sam to the back a few nights and let her up front instead. "I’m having dinner over there after my next class. I can ask if you're interested."

"Yeah. I'll come with you. Make a good impression and ask for myself. That and a drink might be nice." She's smiling again and how could he say no to that?

"Okay." He smiles back.

"Okay. I'm driving." She's perfect.

* * *

"Woah! Did I drink myself all the way to St. Patty's day last night? Deano, what's with the hair?"

Dean hadn’t even made it past the kitchen yet and he was already getting shit. "Sam man. I don’t even know what I did this time. I already got him back though."

"Yeah?"

"Itching powder in the underwear. And today's his class with the girl."

"That's cruel man." Dean waved a hand at his goose-shit-green hair and shoved his way through the doors out of the kitchen to the sounds of Ash's hooting laughter. Maybe if he didn’t turn on the back lights for the bar, no one would notice?

Ellen’s smoky chuckles blew that hope right out of the water. And now Cas was looking over. Great.

"Honey. Is this your way of trying to get attention? Aren't you a little old for the artsy hair?" Dean just shook his head and smiled it off. He was obviously going to have to do that a lot today and should get some practice in before he lost tips. If it was any blessing, Ellen was at the bar and that meant that not only had he avoided Jo so far but that she probably hadn’t come in today. That was something.

"Little brothers, Ellen. He even put dye in his own shampoo so I couldn’t wash it out." Ellen hummed out another laugh as Cas came up to see what the fuss was about. His eyes went big and he looked down with a blush.

"That's a lovely color." Shit. Cas' favorite color from last night. He knew.

"Did Sam tell you he was going to do this?" Stabbed in the back by his brother and his new friend in the same day, perfect.

"No. I... Sam did that?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. I thought..." Cas' ears were still red and crap, he probably thought Dean picked his favorite color on purpose.

"Thought what?" Ellen asked, looking between them a little too interested.

"Never mind." Cas smiled, pushing off the bar to go back to cleaning up tables.

"Hey, Cas? Want to help me get him back?"

"I don't know. I think it looks nice." Dean made a point of looking in the mirror behind the top shelf liquor before glancing back. "It brings out your eyes."

Ellen nudged him with this  _look_  like she thought she knew something before heading back towards the kitchen. “Becky’ll be here soon, you too can handle it alone ‘til then. I’ll be in my office.”

And that's how the day continued, with laughs from the regulars and compliments from Cas anytime he probably looked like he was about done with the whole situation. All in all, it was one of the most fun Thursdays he'd had in a while. Especially when Sam walked in for dinner with a cute blonde. Man, she was  _way_  out of his little brother's league. This was going to be awesome.

"Sammy!" He mock whispered. Sam hated that nickname, especially in front of girls. "I told you not to infect my bar with your disgusting stds. Go see a doctor."

"Shut up. She already knows about the itching powder."

"Classic, by the way. Underwear, that's ruthless and a little priceless." The girl told him, giving a wink.

She could definitely stick around. Dean couldn’t help but preen under her praise of his pranking abilities. "I like her."

"Good. She's looking for a job."

Hopefully that wasn't the only reason she was hanging around Sam. "Ellen’s in the back office." They linger, Jess smiling and Sam fidgeting with something that Dean didn’t think was the itching powder. "Something you need Sam?"

"How'd everybody like your hair?"

"Jokes on you bitch. Cas said it brings out my eyes."

"Aw. Is he your boyfriend?" Jess cooed and Sam started laughing. Cas dropped a stack of plates on his way to the kitchen and was beet red again, from his first time getting a round of applause for his clumsiness or from what Jess said Dean wasn’t sure. He changed his mind. Today still sucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi grammar nazis :) I know I've said it before but I'm all alone and betaless in TheBadassIsIn world. I appreciate every comment but when it comes to criticism I would prefer it be constructive. Ie: Instead of saying my grammar is "appaling. How the fuck old are you?!" Why not just say, hey Badass! you overlooked one of your 'wheres' you silly writer you!  
> I do apologize for any errors that have come up and I'm more than willing to fix any pointed out to me. Thank you all for reading and I hope you continue with these characters and enjoy my puppet show with them :)
> 
> PS. Grammar Nazi - you spelled "appaling" wrong, for future reference, it's appalling. 
> 
> Love,  
> Badass ;)
> 
> -  
> Chapter edited 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	9. Sam Started It! (part two)

**Sam Started It! (part two)**

"Cas, come here. Come meet Jess." Sam yelled and waived him over.

Jess seemed very nice. She certainly thought he was cute, working in the compliment every few minutes and looking at Dean as if asking for reassurance. If there was a polite way to be rude, he thought she had it down. He was almost certain this was the woman Sam had been talking about the last week or so and if she was here than he assumed they were together so why did she keep pointing out his blue eyes and strong arms instead of trying to compliment Sam? Sam’s muscles were much larger and though his eyes were a different color, Castiel thought they were very nice. Kind, just like Sam. And then there was Dean’s reaction to the whole thing. Dean with his hair dyed that odd shade of green that kept catching him off guard. At first he thought the man probably should have bleached his hair before adding the color so it would be brighter but now he understood it was a prank, not something meant to catch his attention. It did though, he preferred Dean’s natural hair color but the dark green really did kind of match his eyes. Eyes that kept darting away from him whenever Jess would throw out another compliment. Castiel knew Dean didn’t think about him that way, but he was curious what the man  _did_ think and if there was any chance at all that maybe one day he would be interested in being more than just friends. When Sam took Jess into the back to meet Ellen, they were left alone again. Castiel did a sweep of the floor, making sure his patrons were taken care of before heading back to the bar to get a drink and sooth Dean’s ego about the teasing from his little brother.

“We should do something while Jess is here. That will  _really_ embarrass him.”

“I don’t know. He hasn’t done anything to me.” Castiel said. He didn’t understand the whole being mean to each other for fun thing the brothers dabbled in from time to time. “I don’t want my hair to turn your favorite color.” At least that got a laugh from Dean. He was probably trying to picture it, why else would the man’s eyes track over his face like that?

“He told Jess you were my boyfriend, that’s something to be embarrassed about.” The bartender might as well have stuck a pin in a voodoo doll’s heart for the feeling he got when Dean admitted embarrassment at someone thinking they were together. He knew Dean thought he was weird, he had been told on many occasions, but he always said it with this friendly fondness.

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry Cas, I meant  _you_ should be embarrassed of  _me_. I was just kidding.” Oh. He found himself smiling, listening to Dean’s plans of attack and turning down involvement in each one, even if some did sound a little exciting. Apparently, it didn’t matter. Soon enough Castiel was caught in the crossfire no matter how much he tried to just do his job and avoid the chaos.

* * *

It only took Sam greasing the bar while Ash distracted Dean and the subsequent few glasses breaking for Ellen to lose it.

“I don’t care if Sam started it! I don’t care who’s green or who’s itchy. I’m trying to hold an interview and you two are making noise, braking my glasses and wasting my beer! There will be no pranks in The Roadhouse or I swear on Bill’s poor soul that I will take you both out back, find his old belt and beat your bottoms blue like when you were kids. Got it?” Her voice never rose above a smokey inside tone but both men felt like boys again as they gulped and nodded. “Good. Sam, with me.” Dean gave him a one fingered salute and chuckled as he walked back to the bar probably thinking Sam was going to get a lecture for his stunt. Sam did too for a second. “Sam. I’m only going to say this once and I want you to listen very carefully.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Keep all Cas and Dean related pranks off the main floor. Kitchen and yard  _only_  don’t get customers or their orders involved. Oh, and be smart. Make it look like an accident. Don’t make me treat you like an overgrown child in front of your new girlfriend.”

Sam laughed. “I’ll do my best. No customers, no main floor, got it.”

“Alright. Now this girl, you like her?”

“Yeah, Ellen, I do.”

“You think she’ll actually work or do you just want her here for eye candy?”

Sam rolled his eyes and she laughed, she knew him better. “I think she’ll work Ellen.”

“Good. ‘Cause I like her. Real spitfire you picked there Sammy, I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks Ellen.”

“You’re welcome, now get out of here so I can go back to vetting her.” She winked.

Sam did, and he immediately set up phase two. When Becky suggested greasing the bar as a kind of improvised redo on her and Jo spilling beer on him he had to give her props under the glare he was shooting her way for admitting it was on purpose. The plan had potential for Dean to accidentally soak Cas and for Sam to see their reaction. If worse came to worse, Cas was wearing a white dress shirt – wet t-shirt contests were good on guys too right? He shrugged to himself, if not, that’s kind of sexist so he went with it. It certainly worked for Becky. Maybe he was just being too subtle and leaving too much up to chance.

Ash walked by heaving a 10 gallon bucket full of soapy water. “Dishwasher just busted a pipe bro. Rufus is on his way but mind helping me out for a minute?” Oh yeah, he was definitely being too subtle. When Rufus came in and grumbled and swore through working on the dishwashers, Sam made sure one of the buckets was put aside. If the one he picked had a little extra grease and food bits, well it was an  _accident_.

When the night wound down and Dean had kicked out the straggling co-eds while the regulars had the right to stay longer or stumble down the road, Sam stopped Cas from leaving and called in Dean for some help cleaning up Rufus’ mess.

“Come on guys, Ash is going to be here all night if we don’t help him run the dishes through. Show Jess we work as a team, right Ellen?” Jess giggled as Ellen hummed agreement. Becky just continued to side eye Jess. Sam hoped she wasn’t going to say anything and luck was with him when she continued to clean up the hall as they went to the kitchen.

“What ever gets y’all out of my bar faster so I can head home.”

When they were in position, Sam stopped Jess from moving forward to help and  _accidently_ bumped into the loading table, sending the bucket on its course down the slanted counter and bumping into the lip that knocked it over, right into Dean and Cas. Perfect.

* * *

“Oh my god! Guys I’m so sorry!” Sam laughed, not even trying to hide what he’d done. Dean was furious, Ellen had called no man’s land in the bar, what the hell?!

“Ellen!” Dean yelled, shaking the water and food bits off his hand. He did not sign up for this today.

“Looked like an accident to me.” She grumbled, “Clean up your mess.” Sam continued to laugh as he went to get a mop. At least he wasn’t leaving them with everything. That didn’t mean payback was going to be any lighter. Dean was behind two pranks now, over grown bitch was gunna suffer. He looked to Cas and saw that he had gotten hit too, the waiter just stared down at his own soaked through shirt and pants. Dean couldn’t say he really minded that part of the prank. Poor Cas and all, but… yeah. He knew the guy had strong arms, hard not to when you worked full time in a place like this, but what he was packing under the too big dress shirt was nowhere near as scrawny as what Dean had been picturing. Not that he was picturing anything.

“Your brother…”Cas left it hanging, voice deep and dark like the night he took out that jock. Dean could see it now, how he was able to pin him so easily. Nerd was built, not cut, definitely not stocky, but – he really needed to look Cas in the eye when the man was talking.

“Yeah. I know.”

“Nice ink boys.” Jess winked, pointing to the flaming pentagram on Dean’s peck, clear through the grey Roadhouse T, and something else. He looked over to Cas’ chest with an excuse this time, then to Jess again with eye brows up.

“Mine?” Dean asked. Cas sighed and turned around, through the dress shirt and Tshirt under that, it looked like a pair of wings over his whole back, something distorted with the feathers near the bottom that he couldn’t really make out through the fabric and lettering down Cas’ spine that he couldn’t read. “Whoa.” Because what else do you say to that? Another thing he completely wasn’t expecting under the uniform and from Cas in general. What else didn’t he know about the guy?

“You two kind of look like an angel and a demon.” Jess joked. Everyone always thought the pentagram was a devil thing.

“Um, actually the pentagram’s a symbol for protection from evil. I have one too.” Sam said as he came back with the mop and bucket looking a little sheepish. The tattoos were Sam’s idea, but he always got self-conscious about peoples’ misconceptions of what it meant and having to explain the actual meaning. Jess looked like she caught on quick and let it go. “Whoa, Cas. That had to hurt.” He said as he saw the ink too. Cas blushed and shrugged it off.

“Well, it was nice meeting everyone, but if you don’t need my help I’m going to head out.”Jess said, backing up before stopping. “Actually, this is kinda silly but my brother and I have this tradition. When something good happens, like a new job, we go out for breakfast and since he’s back home in California…” She trailed off, looking shy for the first time since Dean met her.

“Yeah?” Sam asked, devious monster to puppy dog in no time flat.

“I was wondering if maybe you guys wanted to grab breakfast before your shift? I’m starting tomorrow because JoAnna’s sick.”

Dean held in a laugh, he wanted to warn her about ever calling Jo anything other than  _Jo_ but she’d figure it out soon enough. If Sam didn’t warn her, he could count it as part of his payback. He grumbled, going back to helping Cas load the dishwashers as Sam tried to mop between their feet.

“Yeah. Sounds great.”

“Great.” Yup, that crush was definitely mutual. It was a little disgusting. Dean would say he gagged on that but no, you’ve never seen disgusting until you’ve just put your hand in liquefied onion ring and… he didn’t want to know what else. This is why he did bar – fuck cleaning up after people. “What about you Dean? Cas, you want to come too?”

Cas looked up from his own pile of eugh he was scraping off plates, people were pigs. “Uh…is…”

Dean decided to save him the trouble. “Sure.” He smiled, big and wide. Any other day he’d have made sure Sam got the girl to himself and crossed his fingers that his kid brother didn’t mess up. That day was not today. “Yeah, breakfast Cas. Celebratory breakfast. You have to go. Tradition.” Cas nodded and continued his work. “We’re in.” Sam looked a little disappointed. Tough.

“Cool. Meet you in the morning, tenish? We drove by a dinner on the way in.”

“Bigerson’s.” Sam said, making the plans of where to meet, trading numbers and other stuff Dean wasn’t interested in.

He nudged Cas, “So you in to get Sam back with me yet?”

“I’m sure I’ll think of something by breakfast.” Nice. Tattoo aside, maybe the angel was a little fallen after all.

* * *

The next day Sam was hyper vigilant. Dean had yet to strike and it was… weird. He used soap in his hair instead of shampoo, just in case because he still remembers the Nair incident of ’97. He used Dean’s tooth paste. He did a very thorough inspection of the toilet and every piece of clothing he owned before picking what to wear. Nothing. Car ride fine. They got to Biggerson’s, still nothing. Huh.

The first sign of trouble arrived with Cas and the actual full mouthed smile he was sporting. The waiter wouldn’t do anything, Cas was too shy and innocent for all that. He tried to avoid the prank wars any time they came up or arguments in general for the most part. But then why was he laughing to himself, and why did Dean look so pleased?

“What’s so funny Cas?”

“Hmm? Nothing. I was just wondering how long your hair is?” Sam panicked, grabbed the metal napkin dispenser and immediately checked his appearance. Nothing wrong. Nothing, what the hell? He groped the back of his head, no missing hair that he could feel.

“What?”

“It’s getting longer isn’t it?” Cas asked, face the poster of innocence as Dean guffawed next to him.

Jess came in and slid into the both on Sam’s side, he was ready to forget the weird conversation and focus on celebrating her new job and filling her in on the craziness to expect Friday nights from coeds and locals alike but she jumped on the same train. “Hey Sam, how long  _is_  your hair anyway?” Dean about died.

“What is going on?”

“Don’t you dare tell him! I at least want him to get to work before he finds out.”

Jess raised her hand in Scout’s honor. Oh my god, what had happened? It didn’t matter, Sam had work to do. He bided his time, talked with Jess about her brother and how she was pretty much raised by him as a kid and all their silly little traditions. They all had that in common, Dean pretty much raising Sam and Cas apparently had a similar upbringing that he didn’t go into too much detail about. Sam kind of always pegged him as an only child, but he didn’t say anything because the guy probably left out details for a reason and this wasn’t supposed to be awkward. At least not for him.

When the food came and they were all comfortably eating, Jess and Dean still chattering away, Sam started operation Fake Footsie. He stretched out under the table, too long legs a good enough excuse to try to invade Dean’s space and push the two on the other side of the table closer together. It worked seamlessly, Dean scooting over as he always did before remembering someone else was on the bench next to him. And because Cas is personal space illiterate, the guy didn’t even budge. Sam didn’t really know what to do next though. This wasn’t thought out very well. He tried to just keep subtly nudging Dean’s feet closer to Cas’ but his brother was looking more and more uncomfortable every time, and not in the funny way. Finally Dean shifted and Cas jumped.

“Sorry Cas.” He mumbled, picking up the conversation where he left off with only a little trip. Sam gave it a few minutes before trying again. “Sam, what the hell are you doing?” Crap. No wait, he could turn this around.

“What the hell did you do to my hair?”

“You’re such a bitch, Sammy. He can dish it but he can’t take it.”

“Jerk, don’t swear in front of the lady.” Sam bit back but Jess was laughing.

“Aw, that’s cute. Thanks Sam, but I can swear with the best of them.” It was too soon before they finished eating and chatting and were all headed to The Roadhouse. Sam didn’t have to wait long before he found out what was up with his hair. Ellen walked right up to him, pat his cheek and handed over her phone. There was a text message from him with a picture attached. He was looking at a picture of himself asleep on his GenEd Math homework, ruler still in his hand and what might be a puddle of drool included.  **sam winchester keeps a rulr by the bed so evry mrning he can measure his hair**

Son of a bitch.

He went into his own phone, and sure enough, it was sent to every contact. “Dean!”

* * *

Castiel didn’t see what happened this time. He was at the register, Jess shadowing him while he showed her the ancient machine when they heard the bang in the kitchen. Ash yelled and Sam’s laughter cut off. He headed back without thinking to make sure everyone was okay. This is why pranks were so stupid, especially with grown men who knew better, soon enough someone was bound to get hurt. When he and Jess stepped into the kitchen the brothers were arguing, Dean’s pants were ripped in the back and pots and pans were all over the floor from where Sam had probably dropped one of the metal hooks into Dean’s back pocket. He’d seen Ash do it by accident before.

Castiel tried to look subtle about the peak at Dean’s dark boxer briefs but just about ran away in embarrassment when Jess caught him in the act and winked. Becky is walking in to start her shift and looks around at the mess. He clears his throat to try and get their attention on cleaning up and getting back on the floor instead of yelling pointlessly.

“What happened?” Becky asked, picking up a pot that had rolled all the way down to the middle of the hall and handing Dean the apron she grabbed for herself at the door.

“Sam.” Jess sighed. “He’s still trying to prank them into noticing their giant crushes on each other.”

“What?” Cas can barely whisper to the girl next to him. Sam makes cutting motions across his throat shaking his head wildly as the ‘boys will be boys’ smile stutters off her face.

“Oh. Sorry! I thought they…knew why with all the teasing. Never mind. Cas was showing me the register can you help please?” She said, grabbing Becky and pulling her out of the kitchen.

“What the hell Sam?”

“Dean, I thought… I just wanted you to be happy, I-”

“Shut up. Can’t two guys just be gay and friends? Why do you need to play match maker?”

“Um, I’m-” Cas started, not really knowing what he was going to say. Maybe correct Dean that he was bi, maybe pick a fight himself, but the wind is knocked out of him as the man continues his angry rant.

“And it’s not just you is it? Jesus, does the whole damn Roadhouse know? We are just friends! So quit it with this bull shit. Right Cas?” Dean’s looking at him, face red and brow furrowed like the idea of anything more is disgusting and he can’t help the prickle he feels behind his eyes. He looks down in case the mask he is trying his best to keep stoic is slipping and rips off his apron.

“Yes, Dean. You’re right. Sorry if I encouraged this in any way.” He tried to leave as fast as he could without looking like he was running away. Becky’s here, he can take a break. He says as much as he passes Ellen’s office and goes to sit by the lake across the street and think.

* * *

Sam watched something hit Cas’ eyes before they turned hard and he struggled to put that mask back on. The emotionless robot mask he wore all the time before Dean started inviting him to stay for a beer and whatever weird friendship they had blossomed.

Was it because of the reason for the pranks? Or was it because of what Dean had just said? If everyone was right and there was some mutual attraction happening, Dean pretty much just threw the idea and anything that had built between them in Cas’ face.

“You should go apologize.” His brother said. He looked like shit, probably thinking over the same things as Sam and knowing what he did was emotional and cruel.

“I will, but I don’t think it’s me he wants to talk to.” Dean ignores him, tying a spare apron around his waist to cover the hole in his pants and going back to the bar practically barreling Becky over as the girl tries to come into the kitchen.

Pranks. He should have known better. He ruined everything.

“Told ya Sammy, it ain’t happenin’” Ash said, throwing the fallen pots on the dish station and going back to the grill.

“Don’t worry Sam. You’re probably not going to win today, but they’ll get together. You just wait. Endings are never as happy if the heroes don’t have a lot of really hopeless, heart stomping moments.”

“This isn’t a story Becky.”

“Maybe not. But the fact still stands. That, and I’m up next. I think I know just the thing to fix this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay Tuned for Becky Breaks the Ice! Coming up next ;)
> 
> "This is going to be be awesome~ If they're not on each other within the hour, my faith in fanfiction will be permanently shattered!"
> 
> -  
> Chapter edited 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we may have missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	10. Becky Breaks the Ice!

**Becky Breaks the Ice!**

_Becky Breaks the Ice! A love match by Becky Rosen!_  Becky scrawled across a fresh page in her diary. This would get Sam’s attention on her for sure, even if Jess was really nice and they were kinda dopey cute together and Becky would ship it a little if she hadn’t called INFINITE DIBS!!! Either way, she had a plan and It. Would. Work. She’d win the money, use it to take Sam to dinner at some swanky place with a new lbd and they’d fall in  _love_  love. Maybe even run away to Vegas together.

The tap room and walk in cooler were in the basement under the kitchen. It was simple – Point one: lock Dean in the walk-in. Point two: get Cas to help her lift a keg onto the tap in Dean’s strange absence. Point three: Dean would make noise, Cas would investigate and bam! They’d be locked in together. This worked all the time in fanfiction. And,  _bonus!_  there was a camera in the walk-in. This would be awesome! If they weren’t on each other within the hour, her faith in fandoms would be permanently bruised.

* * *

Dean had never not wanted to go to work so much in his life as he had this week. Ever since the prank war had blown up in The Roadhouse and he had a fit, going back there had felt off. It wasn't like him. Actually it kind of was. Dean wasn't receiving any awards in anger management or in keeping his mouth shut on the best days. Throw on top of that humiliation in front of Cas after a couple days of apparent purposeful  _embarrassing Dean in front of Cas_  moments and the result was a bitch fit that only served to make things more awkward and embarrass Cas too.

And then there was Cas' fit... which was weird. He had never seen the guy just  _storm_ out of work before. Cas was a very  _I'm going to take my half hour break in a bunch of little two minute shifts at the bar for drinks_  kind of guy. And he just went and sat outside for the entire half hour...when pretty much all of his little 2min breaks had been used up.

It was weird.

When he came back in, Sam apologized and Cas was cordial. But when Dean tried to apologize - the guy was like a robot. And they hadn't really talked since. Like at all. No movie nights, no water breaks, Cas'd been keeping a pitcher in the back for himself and had been making better friends with Ash. Looks like the guy had a weirdly good grasp on engineering and was bonding with the cook on physics. Then there was Jess who seemed adamant to fix it, always there when the two were forced to occupy the same space, which wasn't really hard because people needed drinks and Dean poured them, but in all honesty - he missed him. The day went by a lot faster when he had those little two minute breaks with Cas.

When the dye finally washed out of his hair and he wasn't afraid the green would leak onto his beard in the shower, he let his shadow come back. Jess noticed, but didn't say anything until Cas came in, pulling the guy to the bar to show her a button on the register Dean had seen her use all day.

"I like the scruffy look Dean, but I think Sam was right - I got the cute one." She giggles, elbowing Cas like he would in any way comment on that.

"I'm sorry, what?" Whether Cas was there looking uncomfortable or not, Dean wasn't going to let that one go.

"You're the pretty one." Dean gave her an offended scoff, that was ridiculous. She nudged Cas again, the guy looking about done with the situation as he kept start-stopping sentences, gesturing to the register while Jess and Dean continued their banter.

"I am not pretty. I'm ruggedly handsome, a very manly man. I could be a lumber jack, right Cas?" He asked before he remembered they weren't really talking for some reason. Cas had kinda turned into the one that fluffed his ego when everyone else was making fun, Dean just forgot.

For the first time in a few days, his friend didn't miss a beat before giving that sarcastic eye roll, "You're adorable." He said under his breath, seeming to remember himself too before quickly showing Jess the button in Dean’s following silence and running back to his tables. Well at least that was something.

But did that make it weirder? Were they back to this  _did we just become best friends_ thing or was that a sarcastic,  _don’t talk to me I'm still mad_  thing? And why was he mad anyway? They should both be mad  _at Sam_. At everyone! For trying to get them together. He said Dean was right, that they were just friends and everyone should stop, right? He agreed! And then he looked really sad and took his break and stopped talking. ...Was he wrong about Cas? Did he like Dean? Holy shit.

Well, it was probably just a spacial thing right? They had been spending more time with each other than anyone else, they just needed some space. That's probably what Cas was trying to do. This was probably good, because Dean needed some space of his own if the too fast rhythm of his heart and butterflies, not butterflies -bigger and manlier like pterodactyls because he was  _not pretty,_  he was ruggedly handsome - were anything to go by. Yeah that was it, proximity.

He ran over the fight with Sam in his head...Maybe it was the gay thing? Dean pretty much labeled him. Not pretty much, he  _did_  and he didn't even know if Cas was actually gay. That was probably bad. Cas said he was really religious right? Or grew up that way at least, what if he was one of  _those_? Would he really stop being friends with Dean because of something like that? Would he be one of the guys that tried to beat it out of him when Dean first came out? He didn't know whether to be sad or punch Cas in the face.

Now it was Dean's turn to be quiet. He finished up his shift brooding behind the bar with what was probably a fuck off look on his face judging by his lack of tips. And Jess, every time she had to ask him for something she looked half guilty, half like she wanted to run away. Good. Maybe that would get her to leave them alone.

By the time he got home and made some chili for his dinner and Sam's midnight study snack he was starting to get more and more angry without really knowing why. And then every time he thought about it, he just started getting sad and then he would be mad at himself for feeling sad and the cycle was viscous. He over stirred and burned the chili. Sam didn't say anything. Well at least not about the food.

"Dean?" Great, he knew that tone, therapy session time. Dean just gave him his best dead bored stare from the other side of the couch. "You okay?

"'m fine Sam." He had about two blissful moments of silence to catch up on Dr. Sexy's brother coming out of his coma.

"You just look... Are you having another gay freak-out? Because dude-"

"No, Sam. Shut up and watch the closet sex before they kill Liam off, you know he only came out of the coma to screw Jane." And for once his little brother let it go. They watched the incredibly predictable but still entertaining Dr. Sexy MD followed by the procedural dramas Sam snored through and made fun of from behind his books but was still addicted to and wouldn’t let Dean turn off. When they finally went to bed, Dean could think.

He was not having a gay freak-out. Pfft. No. He already had one when he was trying to hide it from Sam and Bobby and they both figured it out before he told them and they both loved him anyway. Blahblahblah, roll credits on that abcfamily moment. But it's different now. That was when Sam was a kid, before he spent three years in a South Dakota high school alone after Dean got his GED, getting beat up because his brother was a fag. That was before Sam was old enough to vote and could go to the polling places where people gathered with their 'God Hates Gays' signs and Sam would throw a few words that maybe came to needing to throw punches in his brother's honor. Dean didn't need punches thrown for him. He could handle his goddamn self, if god damns him, if god is even real, whatever.

Point is - he can hide his rainbow flag pretty well with cars and action movies when he wants because the typical trouble in these parts usually look for stereotypes that Dean does not fit. The 50/50 shot at bringing home a lady friend instead of a guy probably doesn't hurt. But he wonders if he has hidden his flag too well from his friends. Obviously not Sam and his scheme to set him up with Cas, but has everyone else forgotten now? Is that what caught Cas so off guard? Do people think it was just a phase? He never had been in a long tern relationship with anyone. Well besides his little out of town vacation with Cassandra Robinson but that was in high school and at the time long term had meant two weeks. And then there was the question of Cas having a rainbow flag of his own. If maybe he had faced violence because of it and if he hadn't - could he shove Cas into that? Then again, what if Dean had made a mistake, or if worse Cas didn't know about Dean being bi and it would end their friendship.

Maybe he was having another big gay freak-out. Either way, Sam didn't have to know.

* * *

When Becky got to work, the plan was already set in motion. She had made sure to really push the Red Stripe the night before, but not to the point that it was ready to be changed just in case it would empty out that night or during the lunch shift before she came in. Sure enough though, with a little more encouragement to try it, the Red ran dry around 11 and Dean had to go to the keg room to swap it out.

"Ash, goin' down. If I'm not up in five make sure the walk-in lock didn't bust behind me again." Dean said, heading down the stairs.

"Si si, compadre." Ash called back. Becky waited until she heard the heavy metal door of the walk-in close before she snuck down and twisted the handle back so it would stick, giving it a few kicks into place for good measure. She nearly jumped for joy when the plan started coming together. She ran back up the stairs and pointed a strict finger at Ash.

"If anyone asks, you are too busy to go down and check. Don't you  _dare_  let him out."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Becky shook the finger at him again, ready to go into an Epic Poem about two lovers finding each other after nearly a year of pining because she was brilliant enough to get Dean to see the light in Cas' eyes and Sam would finally get it - Becky Rosen was the one. All of a sudden, Ash looked a little scared. She really needed to get her fangirl face under control for moments like this. "Too busy Becks, can't let him out."

"Good."

"Don't let him freeze, he won't fit in the fryer."

"Oh I won't." She went back down the stairs and heard Dean calling for Ash through the door. "Dean?"

"Becky! Go get Ash, the friggin’ door is stuck again."

"Yeah he sent me down to check because he was too busy. I'll go get Sam."

"Alright, hurry up!" He shouted back. This would be the hard part. Not convincing Cas to let him out, but getting Cas inside the walk-in before Dean busted free. She could send him on a goose chase, that could work right? Revision to point two: tell Cas from the start and make sure Dean had something to do.

"Dean while you're in there, we need more Blue Moon, I just went to use it and it's dead."

"Fine. Just go get Sam, I'll get his girly beer."

"Be right back." That should take him a while. Ellen only ordered one keg per sell-by date because hardly anyone drank it and she knew it was changed last night, ergo - no Blue moon in the cooler until the next shipment came in Monday. She went upstairs and lucky enough, Sam was with a customer and Cas was headed her way. "Castiel, I need your help!" She called, maybe being a little dramatic in the big eyes and flailing hands, but she had to sell it since the boys knew about the matchmaking plans, rights to lick Sam's abs were on the line.

"What's wrong?"

"Dean got locked in the walk-in and everyone else is busy." He sighed but followed her down stairs to pull the handle into submission. He actually had some pretty big muscles she'd never noticed before. Hmm. Not as big as Sam's though. Well maybe as big, but not as nice. Nope. When he got the door open, he went to leave right away, but stopped because there was no Dean.

"Uh... Cas. Can you grab him from the back? I just don't have time to hold this door for however long it takes and if I go it I might lock us in...please."

"Dean!" Cas yelled into the cooler, tilting his head to look between the shelves. They heard a crash from the back, like someone dropped a keg into the cases of bottles.

"Ohmygod. Go check and make sure he's okay. Call back if you need a mop or something." Cas looked like he was thinking about it and wanted to send Becky inside instead until there was some swearing from Dean and another bang and Cas went in to check it out. She waited for his yell back, not wanting to foil the plan but not wanting to leave if Dean got hurt.

"Becky, we need that mop!" Cas called.

"Okay. Be right back." She smiled and called in, letting the door swing closed.

"No!Don'tclosethedoor!"

She turned the handle as hard as she could and jammed one of the step ladders under it. She went to give it a few slams down just in case, but the rusted thing came right off. Opps. Well that worked. Now at least she didn't have to worry about them getting out before she had her winnings. She was an evil genius, or at least the internet was. But she was definitely awesome for utilizing the internet for love!

Now she just had to cover for Cas and make sure Sam could cover for Dean. She was sure he would help his brother out, especially since it would get Dean to stop moping around and in a little bit they could all watch the show on the security feed in Ellen's office. Speaking of which.

"Becky?"

"Um, yes Ellen?"

"Want to tell me why Dean and Cas are locked in the cooler?"

"Well, you know that door. I can call Rufus or Bobby if you want."

"It's your day in the bet pool, isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am. And I'll cover for Cas and Jess is still here training but she's good, she's ready to go on her own and Sam can cover the bar..." Ellen didn't look pleased. "I should have asked you first."

"You absolutely should have, especially since it involved a broken case of beer, a dented keg and you kicking off a door handle."

"That part was an accident?" She squeaked.

"Mhmm. You have until Bobby is ready to leave. Once he's gone, Dean and Cas better be out."

"Absolutely. I'll make sure of it!" Becky said, nodding and watching Ellen grab a basket of fries and a beer before heading back to her office. Snacks, Becky should put together some snacks for the show.

"Sam? Can you cover the bar?"

"Where's Dean?"

"Oh, you know. Locked with Cas in the walk-in talking about their feelings." Becky smiled. She heard Jess laugh a couple tables over and knew Sam was in just to impress her. Well that had pros and cons.

"Seriously?"

"Well, I'm not sure what they're saying, but they are definitely stuck in the cooler together."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"That's impossible." She winked, getting back to work. "Jess, can you handle Cas' section by yourself?"

"Absolutely. Good work Becky!" Grr, why was she so hard to hate?

"Thanks, if you need any help let me know!" That's it, Becks - smother nice with  _more nice_!

* * *

Dean maneuvers around the shelves and gets to the front in time to see Cas pick up what looks like the door knob, button on a metal rod... thing. It's old fashioned, whatever. He looks to the cooler door, and yeah, that's definitely their side of the handle. Shit. "Becky? Becky you still out there!" No one answers. He steps forward to pull the handle away from Cas and try to finagle it back in the door, if the other side is still in, this just might work. Nope, that is definitely light shining through from the other side. He tries shifting some pieces around anyway, hoping to trick the latch but no, it's just all freezing cold metal with sharp, pinching corners rusted stiff that barely want to move when the right pieces are in place. It's not long before he cuts himself and gives the door a good kick. "Son of a bitch."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. Becky's just a friggin’ idiot." There was awkward silence as Dean paced as much of the cooler as he could without getting in Cas' space or bumping into a shelf. "Should've just wedged a crate in the damn door."

"Sam should be down in a minute." Yeah right.

"No he won’t. Becky's either talking his ear off, Sam's avoiding her like the plague, or he's letting us stew down here."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because it's Sam and he thinks we're fighting. Either way, the handle's broken so we're going to be in here a while." They go back to their silence, too many layers of cold in the room for Dean to deal with right now. Eventually Cas goes to the back to start trying to clean up Dean's mess. It's not bad, the draining was pretty good so most of the beer from the couple bottles that broke was gone or drying. All that was left was the glass. "Cas, leave it. No use getting cut, if it's bad we won't be able to do anything about it."

"Says the man who just cut himself on rusted metal. When's the last time you had a tetanusshot?"

"It's not even deep."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." And silence again. His long day was turning into a worse night. Dean paced the rows of the cooler while Cas sat quietly in the corner on a pile of crates. The cold didn’t seem to be bothering him, but he didn't think Cas would say anything even if it did. Neither had their cell phones on them or a watch. Cas didn't wear one, and Dean always put his under the bar so it wouldn't get wet or stained. He didn't know how long they were down there but it was definitely long enough for someone to notice they were missing and come looking. So they knew and they weren't doing anything. That was great, real nice. Class act people he called friends. When the time kept ticking and still no one was outside trying to help, Dean went to go sit with Cas on the crates.

"Hey."

Cas looked at him for a moment before staring straight ahead again. "Hello Dean." It was rougher than usual, like he didn't really want to say anything but Dean still let a little smile slip. It had been days since he heard the formal greeting that was so  _Cas_  and he hadn't realized how much he had missed it.

"So..." He didn't really know what to say. Well he knew what he wanted to say, to ask, but he wasn't usually the one to bring up that kind of stuff. That was Sam's job, he was the sensitive one. Sam forgave and forgot, Dean held grudges. But he didn't exactly want to hold a grudge against Cas, it just felt wrong.

"Yes?"

"You stopped coming over after work." If it was possible for Cas to become anymore still, he did, just sitting straight up and staring forward like the answer was in a keg of Heine.

"I didn't think you would want me to. After everything."

"Everything what? Sam was a prick and then we both got mad about it. You stormed off, which, no big deal man because I did too but then you kind of... I don't know why we're not talking.'

"We are talking. We're talking right now. We talked yesterday."

"Yeah, but I don't know." Alright, awkward, this is why he didn't do the feeling chat things.

"It's different." Cas said with a shrug. "I understand."

"So..."

"So, let's talk. Unless you want it to stay different?"

"No. I mean, yeah. Yeah let's talk. It'll probably get them to let us out faster too."

"Right." Cas said, looking serious again, what the hell did he do this time?

"Want to play 20 questions or something? Somebody should let us out before we finish  _that_ right?"

"How do you play?" Yet another thing about Cas and his weird home schooled, boring fratness that had Dean smiling,

"Just like it sounds Cas, you get 20 questions, I get 20 questions, we take turns."

"That's fine."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"You going to start?"

"Oh alright. Um... you have a tattoo."

Dean ran a hand down his face, this was going to be a long captivity. "Yeah. You saw it, is there a question that goes with that?"

"Yes. Sam, he said it meant something?"

"Are you trying to ask what my tattoo means?" Cas nods, looking a little exasperated with himself. "It's a pentagram. Pentagram’s a protection symbol, we picked protection from fire." He didn't know if Cas knew the whole story already, about his parents and why fire was a thing Sam and Dean needed protection from, but 20 questions wasn't for whole stories, just stupid facts to pass the time. "What does yours say?"

"What?" Cas looked a little nervous, did he not think the question would come back to him?

"Your ink. I didn't get a good look at it, there's lettering right? What does it say?"

"I choose free will"

"Isn't that from a Christmas song or something?" Dean laughs a little, he's pretty sure it is.

"Possibly. That's not why I got it, but I think it's my turn to ask a question now. What’s your favorite song?"

“Tie between Ramble On and Traveling Riverside Blues. My turn, what language is it in?"

Cas sighed again, not looking thrilled that they were still on this subject. "Enochian." Dean's eyebrows shot up at that. Sam had been talking about some weird languages since picking up linguistics but he had never heard of that one before. He couldn't even think of a country that it matched up with. "It's a dead language. It's supposed to be the language of angels."

"Right wings." Dean nods, that was a little weird but he guessed so was walking around with meaningless tribal tats or the Chinese symbol for fish you told everyone meant love because you got screwed.

"Why fire?" Well karma's a bitch. Dean frowned to himself for a second, trying to think of a way to keep this short or maybe coming up with a lie. "You keep asking about mine, it's only fair."

"Touche." Dean let out a sigh and leaned forward to brace his forearms on his knees and talk to his shoes, easier that way. "Alright story time. How much do you know about me and Sam?"

"Well... I mean." He took a peek at Cas who was floundering, probably trying to grasp at what little information he had. So he probably knew nothing. Great. "I don't think I know what you're referring to."

"Alright, don't worry about it. I know Jo used to make a big deal of it when we were in high school so I just expect her to tell everyone."

"I'm getting the feeling maybe I shouldn't have asked."

"Maybe. But you did so let's get it over with." Dean went back to staring at the floor and pretending Cas wasn't there. If he wanted full disclosure from Cas for the questions he had in mind later, he could give it now. "When Sam was still a baby we lived in Kansas with my mom and dad, it was right around the time of Azazel. Remember him?"

"I can't say I do exactly, but it sounds familiar."

"He was a serial killer. Arsonist. He targeted families with the whole American dream. Middle America, 2.5 kids and the white picket fence. That was us. There was this big tree outside Sammy's nursery, he came in and my mom caught him right after the fire started, like he wanted to watch and make sure somebody was hurt before he got out. Dad got Sam out of the nursery and gave him to me, told me to run. Azazel got away, my dad got out of the house just in time. My mom didn't."

This was usually where people that hadn't heard the story stopped him to offer condolences, tell him there was nothing he could have done, nobody ever stayed tuned for the rest. Cas seemed to get there was more and sat quietly next to him, Dean took another peek and he was still staring straight ahead at the kegs, but now with a furrow to his brow.

"We hotel hopped for a while. I don't think my dad wanted to settle anywhere. Occasionally we would stop in and visit Bobby. His wife was still alive then and would always try to get us to stay but my dad wouldn’t have it. We'd just bounce around and stop in when it got too tough. When I got older I figured out that we only circled back around to Bobby's when the food got short and we always slept in the car for the few days it took to get there. It wasn't that bad. Alcohol could've done a lot worse things to our childhood then make it impossible for dad to hold down a decent job. And it did eventually. By the time Sam was in double digits he would throw a fit every time we had to move and dcyf showed up a couple times. When Bobby's wife had her accident we moved in with him. Things were rough, but they got better. We had Jo and Ash and a few other friends. We stayed in the same school for years and it turns out Sam is a genius even when he wasn’t taking the same test for the same books 12 times a year. My dad finally got his shit together and became a volunteer firefighter on the side while he helped Bobby run the scrap yard. He was still the stereotypic alcoholic firefighter but at least he wasn’t as angry and was always busy. It left me to raise Sam mostly, but it was a lot easier to do when I didn’t need to take care of my dad too."

Dean had to stop, he was painting a really bad picture here. It wasn't that bad. He had more responsibility then most kids, but when you didn't know different and you wanted to keep what was left of your family together, you just did what you needed to do.

"He was a hero Cas. He was a Marine and he saved a lot of lives as a firefighter. I don't want you to think bad about him because he made a few mistakes. They could have been a lot worse."

Cas just nodded along. Still listening as he stared ahead with that harsh face.

"Couple years after we moved here, he was caught in a fire with his partner Bill, Ellen's husband. He pressured Bill to go back in and make sure everyone was out. They did save one more girl but the roof collapsed. Dad made it out but Bill didn't. It put some hard times between Ellen and us. I think if it wasn't for Jo sneaking out and tagging along everywhere me and Sam went Ellen would have never talked to us again. She didn't really, not until dad died. She never forgave him but I think she felt bad for taking it out on us because after that she kinda pushed her way in as the best adoptive mom she could be even though Bobby got guardianship." Dean fell quiet again, thinking of that year where the makeshift family he built up was lost yet again. Jo had been perfect though, and Ellen did come around eventually. Still, that was a long year of lucky charms and spaghetti-os. That never used to be a problem, but when they had been following Jo home for dinner most nights before the fire, the dollar shelf at the convenience store was a little hard to go back to.

"Was it another fire? Your father I mean." Cas asked the kegs.

"Smoke. We didn't know he was still looking into Azazel until he went out on a hunting trip and didn't come home for a few days. He tracked him down to Nebraska based on some newspaper articles of fires and some pattern he came up with. And he found him. They had the big revenge show off I guess he always wanted and both of them ended up in the hospital. Bobby drove us there. We thought he was injured, they said he inhaled a lot of smoke and was on oxygen but he would be fine. We barely got there in time to say good bye. One minute he was making me promise to finish the job and protect Sam, acting weird but just fine. The next he was on the floor. They said heart attack from all the stress and the smoke. Sam got his words in with Azazel before they carted him off. The nut said some crazy shit about experimenting with traumatizing kids, building an army just like him, Sam was next. I don't know, scared us but they arrested him. Bobby took us home and filed the paperwork for legal guardianship and Sam came up with the tattoos and we got them when he turned 18. That's about it." He rushed through the end. He didn’t know how Cas dragged the whole story out but he didn't want to get through everything and then break down on the little details like starting high school a week later and feeling like he failed because he 'didn't finish the job' if that's even what his dad meant.

"What happened to Azazel?"

"My dad wasn't the only one that wanted revenge. He's dead, hell's too good for him if you ask me, he probably feels right at home."

"Your turn." Was all Cas said. It was kind of refreshing to not be offered the  _I know how you feels_ or typical grief bullshit along with some underhanded remarks about the way they were raised. Dean let out a sarcastic laugh, leaning back to look at Cas again who was smiling like he missed the punch line but still found it amusing. It was awkward, but at least it was a little familiar. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so long after all.

* * *

By the time the bar is closing and the last of the regulars are leaving, Bobby has... well he's been made aware of the situation. Becky almost had a heart attack when she thought the man had left only to find him in Ellen’s office with a beer laughing at the security monitor and placing more bets on how far the two would get in the cooler, if they were going to fight and how many more things would be broken before they were let out. Soon enough Jess and Sam were crowding in too. Becky was annoyed for a minute at the tight squeeze until Sam was leaning over her to see better and she could feel his chest against her back. It was so firm, he might even have more muscles since the blessed beer incident.

It didn't look like the boys were getting very far in the walk-in but at least she had this.

"Well they're sitting next to each other again. And talking. That's improvement right?" Jess asked.

"Definitely improvement. Maybe we can lower the temperature and get them to share body heat or something!" Becky said excitedly, hand not so accidently flailing to smack against Sam's peck. Oh yeah.

"You're evil." Sam told her. Evil could be sexy sometimes, she'd take it as a compliment. He definitely didn't sound mad about it. "Whoa, scratch that. What're they doing?"

Becky's eyes shot back to the screen. Castiel was… why was he taking off his shirt? It had to be freezing in there. Who cared! Go Cas! The button up was off and over one of the piles of crates and he was lifting up the back of the Tshirt under it. "Oh, his tattoo. I got a little excited there for a second." Ash came in to say his sayonaras while they watched Dean approach and say something  _before touching it._

"Cough it up Bobby. We have shirt off and contact made."

"His shirt’s still on! Technically." Bobby said, not making any moves for his wallet. Ellen rolled her eyes before gluing them back to the screen, waiting to call him on it. Dean's hands were at the start of Cas' pants before he backed off to say something else and Cas shrugged out of the bunched up t-shirt and  _unbuttoned his pants!!!_

 _"_ Oh my God!" Becky couldn't hold it in. "Is he? I am so gunna win this!"

"Bobby?" Ellen asked and the grump made for his wallet to thumb through a few bills and begrudgingly hand some over.

But Cas only moved the pants down a little, showing off more of his tattoo that apparently continued onto his bum. A butt that Becky was kind of curious about now that she was getting an eyeful of his front.

"Mom!" Jo was calling before she stumbled into the office, barely getting through the door before meeting the wall of bodies scoping out Cas' surprisingly impressive bod. "What the -Whoa! What are you doing? Why is Castiel... oh, hey. Tattoo." Jo climbed over the desk and went to perch on the arm of her mom's chair. "What are we doing? Why wasn't I invited and why is Cas shirtless and pulling up his pants? Did I miss the good part?"

"You missed a lot. Sam started a prank war, there were wet Tshirts and Dean's hair was green but then it all kind of blew up and they weren't talking and I had to fix it because it's my day so I locked them up and look. They're talking. And almost naked!" Becky summed up, frowning when Cas' pants were buttoned back up and he was going for his t-shirt. Crap. "Welcome back by the way. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks. I'm good, should be back tomorrow. Way to include me in on pranks  _Sam!_ "

"Sorry Jo. Hey, meet Jess, she just started."

"I heard. Welcome to the Roadhouse, Rahrahrah and all that cheery stuff. You scared off yet?"

"Not yet." Jess smiled her perfect smile. Becky tried really hard not to ship them. So hard! But it was impossible, Sam and Jess were so nice and fun and were going to have beautiful beautiful babies and Becky was going to die alone. Such was the fate of fangirls. ...maybe Sam had a cousin. Or a movie star look alike - it could happen.

"Good. How long have they been in there?"

"Oh..." Becky thought back "Since around eleven?"

"You guys know it's almost three right? I saw all your cars still here and thought I was going to come down and find a murder scene or something."

"Guess that's my cue." Bobby grumbled, maneuvering his way out of the office. Becky groaned, she was so close. Maybe they would be super relieved and hug it out or something and that something could turn into a kiss and that kiss could be the kiss that changes everything!!! A girl can dream.

And if it didn't work out - well, there was always love potions.

* * *

"So. You got my sob story, tell me yours." Dean asks and Castiel starts. He's not very fond of this game. Though it is teaching him a lot of things about Dean and who the man is, Castiel doesn't want to play fair. He had expected more simple questions like colors, songs and food, not this. He should blame himself for that. Needing protection is a pretty big clue that the story behind the tattoo would be complicated, but why did Castiel have to share his complicated stories too?

"Mine?" He tried to feign ignorance.

"Yeah, what's the story behind your back piece?"

"What makes you think it's sad?"

"Because it's huge and has to have a shit ton of meaning behind it for someone like you to get it. That and the whole free will thing, I'm guessing it's not great." Well that's annoyingly perceptive.

"They're wings, wings typically take up your whole back I don't see-"

"Cas. if you can’t get the meaning of something out in one sentence then you either don’t know what you're talking about or you're lying. Sorry man, can't bullshit a bullshitter. Try again."

Castiel gave his best glare a shot before setting back against a shelf, almost knocking over some more bottles in the process, and starting again. "They represent my fall from grace. Or at least from my family's good graces."

"Alright."

"Alright?" He asked, Dean was going to let him get away with just that after everything he just shared about his upbringing?

"I'm damn curious Cas, but it's your choice to talk or not. Free will and all that."

He couldn’t hide his smile even though he tried to bite it back. That was exactly the point. It was so good to talk to Dean again and out of everyone, he would probably understand best.

“My adoptive parents, I told you they were a religious, they had very black and white meanings of right and wrong. They wanted a family to pass their ideas onto but they didn’t really know how to raise kids, I think they wanted students, not children. The oldest was responsible for second oldest and so on down the line because our parents were too busy with their jobs and being a part of the community. My three eldest brothers got to go to public school when they were kids before our parents pulled them out because they didn’t agree with what was being taught. We were a raised a little like a militia. Later when we were old enough they made us do some violent things and some of us didn’t come home. My brother Gabriel, he was one of the ones that got to go to school for a while, he ran away and I knew once I was 18 I would too. And I did, I went to college which was kind of the same thing. It made them happy and I got away for a while until they found out what I was studying and gave me an ultimatum. I was cut off either way, but I could come home and be retaught, or I could never come home again. So I left, stayed with a fraternity brother, Bal, for a while and eventually travelled here.”

That was the gist of it. The story didn’t really explain the details on the tattoo, but he thought Dean was smart enough were he could fill in the blanks without the whole story. “That blows man. I will never understand rich assholes. How many brothers did you have? Don’t tell me they cut you out too?”

“We weren’t really family. Most of us were adopted so we could be ‘saved’ and they renamed us and maybe they brainwashed us, I was one of the youngest so I didn’t garner as much attention from them personally so I don’t really know.”

Dean was looking at him angrily. He knew the man, especially after opening up about his childhood, had very high expectations of how you treated your family. Castiel didn’t want to say anything more, but he couldn’t have Dean looking at him like that. It had taken him years to face himself and work up the nerve to actually leave, he deserved his freedom and he wanted Dean to be a part of it.

“There were dozens of us. We were all expected to be angels 100% of the time, guardians around or not. They picked me because of my name. Later when I left I looked for my birth mother but it was too late. I was able to find one of her friends. She was nice. She told me my mother named me Castiel because she was addicted to ‘angel dust’, that if she hadn’t been on it I’d never have been born. She wanted to pick her guardian angel in some strange reference to that and to make sure I would be watched over, but she spelled it wrong on the birth certificate. She od’d a couple weeks later and whoever was with her I guess left me at a shelter. No one knew who my father was or where to find him. I looked for a long time, but there was nothing.”

Dean was still staring at him, brow still furrowed in an angry expression that Castiel didn’t understand. He didn’t know what the man wanted, should he not have said anything? Did he say too much? Was he being judged, Castiel was tired of judgment. He tried to carry on, fill the silence, finish the story and if Dean hated him, well he had free will, he could choose to see Castiel as he wanted and whether or not they could be friends or ever be more.

“So the wings. I guess they’re not real but I tried to be an angel and failed, I got them after I left school and found out about my birth mother. They’re burned because I fell, the words down the middle are a prayer to be better-”

“Cas-” Dean cut him off in a sad sounding breath that he would never have heard if it weren’t for the silence of the cooler but he couldn’t let him talk yet, not until he was finished. Then he could yell, agree, disagree, whatever he wanted.

“No. I have free will now. I catch myself thinking like them sometimes and it scares me, but the more of the world I see… it gets better. And you’ve helped a lot. More than you know. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much about what it means to actually be human from someone until I started working at The Roadhouse.” Dean shook his head as Castiel continued until he could finally cut in.

“I barely talked to you until a few weeks ago.”

“Yes. But you were nice.”

And it was true. Even if they hadn’t been anything more than co-workers before September, Dean was always there to help, always nice to and protective of everyone, and always stuck up for Castiel when he did something other people thought was odd even if he got a laugh in afterwards for himself. Castiel smiled at the blank look on his friend’s face. He didn’t seem offended anymore, maybe he had been offended for Castiel like all those time Ash or Jo or the rest of the crew poked fun at him. He didn’t really trust himself to say anything more tonight, not after dredging up so many memories, ones he shared and haunting things he didn’t dare speak of so he did the only thing he could think of.

“Do you want to see it?” He asked, standing up and backing away as he started to unbutton his shirt. He pretended not to notice Dean’s eyes tracking his fingers’ progress. He blushed as he turned around to throw the shirt on some crates lining the opposite shelf. He opted for just hiking up the back of his Tshirt, feeling too emotional and exposed to take that off as well. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

“Can I?” Dean asked from right behind him. He didn’t know when the other man got up, but it definitely wasn’t helping the blushing situation as it brought heat back into his freezing cheeks. He hoped Dean would just think it was from the cold and nodded. Dean’s fingertips were almost warm were his back had been resting against the chilled kegs, “They’re beautiful.” Maybe this was a good idea.

* * *

Dean listened to Cas’ story about growing up. It didn’t have any serial killers or blazing fires but it didn’t sound spectacularly peachy either. Dozens of kids probably picked up for the tax credit of fostering and adoption and brainwashed into some religious fanatic militia. Well those weren’t his exact words, but they sounded like dicks. Damn straight he chose free will, if he hadn’t Dean would have beat some sense into him. Or they probably never would have met. As strange as it was, he can’t imagine his life without the weirdo in it now. Cas’d grown on him.

And then Cas said  _he_ , Dean, Dean Winchester was teaching him how to be human again. All he did was order some cheeseburgers and watch 80’s shows and movies with him. Maybe he should be upping his game. If Cas was looking up to him that much, he needed to be better, he could be better.

Then, it kind of hit him how bad he’d been treating Cas since Sam’s reasons behind the pranks were outted. Shit. Maybe he wasn’t the only one being ignored and feeling lonely and betrayed. The phone worked both ways.

Cas asked him if he wanted to see the tattoo and Dean barely got the chance to nod before he had to swallow against the lust thickening his throat at watching Cas back up slowly and start unbuttoning his shirt. It probably wasn’t meant to be this sexy slow-mo thing Dean’s mind was turning it into. It wasn’t seductively slow, Cas’ fingers were just too cold to move faster.

Cas turned around to lift the back of his shirt and Dean was behind him with a hand outstretched before he even thought to do it. “Can I?” He asked, barely waiting for Cas’ nod before touching the cool raised skin under the ink. He took in the ancient lettering he knew the meaning behind now and felt the anger at Cas’experience and shit childhood bubbling up in him again. He didn’t deserve that, no wonder he was so awkward sometimes. Dean really was going to do his best to pump some more humanity through him and try to make up for everything. He hoped Sam didn’t feel this way about being raised by his older brother instead of a proper mom and dad, but Dean liked to think that he did a better job than the asshats that took Cas in. “They’re beautiful.” He said as he moved his fingers to trace over an intricate pattern of feathers. It was a black tattoo but the artist had left out these lines of skin that almost made it look like lightning or electricity was flowing through them.

Dean pushed at the Tshirt a little to get a better look at where they crested against his shoulders, some red shadowing making them look more like brands as if the wings had actually been burned into Cas’ flesh as he fell. The imagery was something that broke his heart as his fingers paused over a feather covering a scar. Cas shrugged out of the shirt and Dean watched his muscles give the wings life. He had a moment to imagine how those wings would move under him, if it would feel like flying before Cas looked over his shoulder and Dean quickly looked down, studying the feathers towards his lower back. For such amazing artwork, there was no clear shape to the end of the burning wings, full, black, electrified feathers that slowly flowed into burning embers floating away like ash, some blowing over his spine and a few getting as far as Cas’ ribs until he understood. “How far do they go down?” He asked, curious now that he could finally take them in and trying to memorize every line in case he never could again. His heart almost stopped when he heard Cas undo his belt buckle and saw him hook his thumbs inside the pants to pull down. They only moved down a few inches though to rest low on his hips as he pulled the left side a bit lower to respectfully keep most of himself covered. Didn’t stop Dean from feeling warm for the first time since they got trapped. He had to put his hands in his pockets to keep from tracing the burning ink over the slight curve of Cas’ hip and what little view he had of a seemingly smooth and perfect ass. God Dean was so screwed. He had to sit back on the crates and clear his throat before he could talk again.

“They’re amazing Cas. You had a great artist. Anyone famous, should I look for an episode of Miami Ink or something?” He joked as Cas pulled his pants back up and went to put back on the shirts.

“Me.”

“What?” No way, he saw the guy doodle on his order pad sometimes but nothing like this.

“I’m… I don’t trust many people. I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it. I had a lot of tattoo artists redraw it and found a girl, Meg, who put in the red and added flames here and there so I picked her. She knew what I wanted, but that was in Missouri, not Miami.”

Dean grinned, a little shell shocked that no one knew this about Cas. That no one knew  _any of this_  about him. Well, at least Dean didn’t, and Jo certainly wouldn’t have kept her mouth shut. She lived for family drama and wouldn’t have said half the things she typically did in front of Cas if she knew. He had so many more questions but didn’t have time to ask as Cas’ attention went back to the door as a pounding knock sounded from the other side.

“Boys, you still alive in there?”

“Yeah Bobby! What the hell took you so long?”

“Shudup ya idjit. You’re just lucky Ellen went to her office before leavin’ and I was still here.”

“Where the hell did you think we disappeared to?”

“I don’t know boy. Maybe to do whatever had Cas’ shirt off in a 40degree cooler!” Bobby yelled through the door. Dean sputtered for a minute looking back at a beet red Cas whose eyes were wider than he’d ever seen them.

“We…I…” Cas was trying to say, looking back and forth between him and the door.

“Dean? You got the other side of the handle in there?”

Something else to focus on, he’d clear the air later. “Yeah Bobby. What do you need?”

“I’m going to reattach this end, when you see it on your side, push the rod through and we’ll see what happens.” That was encouraging. It took about ten more minutes of grumbling and swearing before the door was creaking open and the warmth of a humid South Dakota basement was giving feeling back to his face.

“Thanks Bobby.”

“Don’t mention it. Just prop the door open with something small enough to not let too much cold out. I’ll get new parts when the hardware store opens.” Cas followed out with the pile of glass Dean told him not to touch earlier as Sam galloped down the stairs.

“Ready to go?” His brother asked, looking tired but way too amused and curious to not have known exactly where they were this entire time. For the sake of exhaustion, a long ass day, and finally being on speaking terms with Cas, he was just going to pretend he didn’t notice.

“Yeah Sam.”

“Cas, it’s almost three. Is your gate going to be locked?” Sam asked, trying to hide everything under a concerned face.

“Unfortunately.” Cas murmured, dumping the glass and propping the door open with one of the unbroken bottles from the busted case.

“Wanna crash at our place?” Dean asked, there wasn’t really any other options. Cas gave that lopsided smile and nodded. Dean would probably feel guilty about thinking of Cas’ body hidden under the baggy uniform and the tattoo he wanted to study some more as he watched Cas go up the stairs after Sam and Bobby. Cas trusted him, with his story, with showing him the tattoo. He shouldn’t think that way about his friend. Because that’s what they were. Even if Dean was starting to get that maybe he wanted a little more.

Back to friends. He wanted Cas in his life, it shouldn’t be that hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btws - I'm on tumblr now :D well I always was, but now I have a special fics page with gifs and fun facts about my fics and stuff. yay. come check me out thebadassisin.tumblr.com  
> Thanks for reading!!!
> 
> -  
> Chapter edited 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistake we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	11. The Truth is Out There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than planned, a guy were I work quit and I have been pulling double over time. Ugh, next weeks should be longer and take us through fun thanksgiving shenanigans and happier coupley moments ;)
> 
> Also, if you have tumblr, come check me out! I'm always ready to make new friends or talk. badassisin.tumblr.com
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**The Truth is Out There**

As Sam suffered through another  _before you become prelaw you must take this English prereq bullshit_  paper to the sounds of the X-files and friendly arguing between Dean and Cas, he thought back on how much easier it was to concentrate on things when the friends weren’t talking but how much happier he was with some background noise to make the place feel like home. It seemed like things went from awkward silent studies one day and back to normal the next. Or, as normal as Dean having a sitcom worthy best-friendship could go. After Becky’s little stunt with the walk-in, Cas’ spot on the couch had been filled again and his studies went back to being constantly disrupted by cheesy sound effects and Dean burning snacks.

Jess had even gotten Sam to put in a new date in the bet pool. Seeing as it was too late for her to join the pool, Jess paid for Sam’s reentry with a scarily firm handshake from both sides in aggreeance that if they won, they would split the cash. Jess picked Halloween. It had been a good plan. It was Sam’s year to pick the theme so he figured maybe they could warp things their way without friggin’ pranks. Dean and Cas needed some time to rebuild the friendship, a month was good and a party with paired off costumes would be a great place to try again. When he attempted to convince Cas to come into work dressed as an action movie star it had prompted a John McCain versus John McClain explanation that Sam really hadn’t had the time or patience for. Instead, they went with Star Trek and he made sure to secure Dean’s place as Kirk and Cas’ as Spock. He didn’t really get it, he thought it would just emphasize the friend thing but Jess and Becky insisted it was the way to go.

Turns out it was. Cas didn’t even have to try to be Spock once the outfit was on, movie references were flying right over his head all night and he kept trying to maintain a business atmosphere when the party started and people commandeered the tables in his section to take a break from dancing, not to order a burger. It was pretty hilarious, Dean definitely thought so. His big brother also apparently had a thing for pointy eared aliens Sam didn’t want to find out any more about and Cas just plain liked Dean in tight shirts. People kept mistaking them for a couple which they were too drunk to care about and all in all it was a good night. The only time things got a little weird was when one of the regular college kids joked that Cas was perfect for Spock because he was emotionless or something like that. Dean took it a little too far defending him, but that was about it. Nothing beyond your typical Halloween party happened. They had carved themselves Being John Malkovitch portal deep into the friend zone and almost a month later they still didn’t seem ready to leave.

Maybe Ash was right, maybe that’s just what they were meant to be – best friends. There was definitely chemistry there with all the staring, but they were so comfortable and happy, maybe they didn’t need to change anything.

Sam left his room to take a break from his paper and grab a snack, maybe catch an episode of what the best buds were watching since he wasn’t going to get to sleep tonight between the homework and Cas’ gate curfew already being ignored in favor of an X-files marathon. That and he had a favor to ask Dean while he was in a good mood and hopefully wanted to look like a kind and caring big bro in front of Cas.

“I just don’t see it. I agree they had a moment in the first episode but then they decided to put it aside and be friends and co-wirkers. There is nothing there-”

“No Cas, besides the blatant chemistry look at all the stuff they do for each other. He kept her necklace when she went missing. Everyone thought she was gone for good but he kept it because he believed he would see her again and she would want it back.”

“I suppose they do share a profound bond, but-”

“No buts. Exactly! Profound bond or whatever. They belong together.” Sam… didn’t know what he walked in on but it seemed like a pretty ridiculous coincidence. Was Dean trying to say something through pop culture references, if so Cas was not the guy to do it with. Or did Cas get the reference and was saying no? He was like that sometimes, like this awkward sarcasm king – you never knew when he was actually using it, being serious, or just confused about something. “Sam! Tell Cas that Moulder and Scully are a thing!”

“Take your ship up with Becky. Until it’s canon it’s not real. Unless something changes when the movie comes out, I think it’s pretty fair to say they’re just friends.” Sam said going for a beer and taking the arm chair. This could get interesting.

“Well they shouldn’t be.” Dean mumbled, fidgeting with the label of his own beer bottle. Interesting. Sam was going to have to talk Moulder and Scully with him one on one later. He kind of really wanted to do it now, but didn’t want to risk another blow up between Dean and Cas.

“I think you’re spending too much time with Becky.” Sam joked. He knew Dean hid their friendship because the only thing they had in common were the books she kept letting him borrow. Sam asked him about them once when Dean was drunk and in a chatty mood. He said they were depressing as hell but in a kind of car crash way that he couldn’t take his eyes off of, it was an addiction and he needed to stop. Sam could add that to the list with Dr. Sexy MD. They quietly watched the TV for a few minutes before Sam decided maybe poking the bear was worth it. Just one poke. “So Cas, if Moulder asked Scully out to dinner outside of work would that be enough to argue a relationship or are you waiting for a full on love declaration.”

“See Cas, even Sammy admits it.”

Cas shifted a glare between the brothers before going back to staring a whole through the TV as if the plot was equally the most important and frustrating thing in the world. “I would prefer it to be blunt so there is no chance at one of them getting their hopes up for nothing.” Well that was enlightening. Was he waiting for Dean to make the first move? “I still don’t see it happening.” Or would he be the one to bluntly say no in favor of staying friends? Maybe he would have to dig into both of them separately later.

He waited until the credits were rolling before he fake yawned and segued into his favor. Not his best move, but maybe pulling out the  _help me I’m your lil’ brother_  eyes would make up for it.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I spoke to Jess today.”

“What else is new?” Dean asked reaching for the remote to skip to the next episode before Sam stole it away.

“Her big brother is coming to town Wednesday and staying the weekend for Thanksgiving. He’s the only family she has.” That’s it, lay on the guilt before he even asks, Dean was a sucker for broken families. He could already see his brother looking defeated under the frustrated mask he put on, smelling the question in the air.

“Let me guess, he doesn’t have a place to stay?”

“Well, he did. He had reservations at the Overlook but they just closed down for bed bugs.”

“And he can’t get another reservation somewhere else?”

“Every where’s booked for the holiday.”

“What about with Jess?”

“She lives in the dorms, remember? There’s no room for him. Not even a couch. And even if there was her room mates are horrible, they would never let him stay.” He was not saying Dean was the opposite of horrible or subtly nudging his hero complex into saying yes or showing off what a better person he was, not at all.

“So you offered up our couch and gleaming hopitality?” Dean asked behind the hand pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Well… I might have offered up your room?”

“Nooo. No no. He wants a room, he can have yours.”

“Well I just figured since you guys always camp out on the couch late that maybe-”

“Sam.” Dean sighed. “He can stay but he’s not getting my bed. And if he’s an asshole I reserve the right to kick him out. He knows we have long and late hours right? I mean, we get more shifts off since Jess started thank god, but no one’s going to be here most of the day, I hope he knows how to entertain himself. I’d be worried about our stuff, but it’s not like we have much.”

“Your apartment is very nice, Dean.” Cas cut in, always ready to cool his brother down before he blew. “And I’ve heard Jess talk about him, I think he would be very appreciative of the hospitality and shouldn’t cause a problem.” Score, if Cas was in so was Dean.

“I said it was fine already.” Dean barked, snatching back the remote and pushing play before getting up for another beer. As much as Sam was excited that Dean agreed so easily, his nerves suddenly shot through the roof at Jess’ big brother and pretty much father figure staying with them. What if he was just like Dean, what if Sam didn’t measure up? Things had been going so well. They had officially been dating for almost two months, but if their relationship was anything like Sam and Dean’s, and she had hinted plenty that it was, he was so screwed.

* * *

Tuesday night Bobby gets to the Roadhouse early. He doesn’t know why he bothers setting up a pot luck list for Thanksgiving. It’s technically ‘his’ holiday so he has to, but everybody brings the same thing every year and they don’t even have it at his house anymore since it’s not just him, Ellen and the kids like it used to be. He sees Ellen hanging up her holiday sign, just a decorative chalkboard he glazed over for her that read  _‘Closed for the Holiday. Any Without Family are Welcome to Join Ours Inside.’_

The Roadhouse holidays wouldn’t be the same if their friends or a few random strangers didn’t wander over. Hell, one of the times she decided to stay open when Bill would be working Christmas was the first time John Winchester and his boys wandered in and look how that turned out. Bobby nodded to her and went through to the kitchen to set up pot luck list. He didn’t even have the tac in the holey as hell cork board yet when Dean was already on him.

“Hey Bobby. Anybody sign up for desserts yet? You know I would do Karen’s pies justice if you’d just give me the recipes me don’t cha?”

“Dean, what’d I tell you the last time you asked that?”

“You’d give them to me when you were ready. I know, just thought I’d remind ya.”

“Well you did, now just sign up for sides like you always do.” Dean did, making sure to mumble about passing veggies off on Sam and getting some of the good stuff, probably meaning stuffing with a pound more butter than actually tasted good, even to Bobby.

He was a little surprised when Cas started to hover closer and closer, looking nervous about what Bobby was hanging, only one way to deal with that – give him a reason to be nervous.

“Cas, come here.” The boy looked a little surprised at being found out, it wasn’t like he had been acting subtle or anything. “You’re coming this year. I’m going to put you down for desserts because I’m too old to be playing with pies _and_  fixin’ a turkey.” Castiel looked over Bobby’s shoulder where he was filling out the paper for him like it was the most important thing he would ever have to sign.

“I don’t know, I’ve never-”

Bobby just rolled his eyes, “I need to ask you a favor.” The boy’s eyes looked like they were ‘bout ready to pop out of his head but Bobby trudged on. If he wanted his date in the pool to work, he needed Cas at the dinner table and with  _pie._  Karen always said she tricked him into marrying her with her baking, let’s see if the old recipe book could pop out another proposal and a weekend away for Bobby. “Tomorrow’s your night off, right?”

“Yes…”

“I want you to come over mine and I’m going to show you how to make a couple of my wife’s pies.” Cas started shaking his head, but Bobby stopped him before he could say no. “Someone should know how to make them. It’s my favorite, Dean’s too but he’d abuse the privilege if I handed over her recipe.” That wasn’t necessarily true, he did plan to give it to Dean one day, but he wanted the boy to have a family to share it with, not Dean getting pudgy sitting on his couch alone with a pie a day. Bobby wouldn’t blame him either, his beer gut wasn’t exactly from beer. “One condition though, you don’t give Dean the recipe or tell him where you got it.”

* * *

Castiel was nervous to say the least. He knew Bobby’s house behind the scrap yard was a meeting point for everyone in Dean’s makeshift family, more so when the Winchester brothers still lived there from what Dean told him, but still a very important place. A place Castiel had never been to. If the snarling Rottweiler chained to the pickup truck it was sitting on was anything to go by, this might not be the best experience.

“Rumsfeld! Stop that you old tire cruncher. Sorry Cas, he’s a little territorial of the cars, looks mean as hell but he wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Castiel was fairly certain the beast was chewing on an old muffler, jaws crimpling the metal.

“Maybe the flies only got away because they didn’t pose a great enough challenge.”

“Good thing you don’t look much worse than a fly.” The man said, showing him into the house. It was large and rustic, he could easily picture it being beautiful and much more welcoming with a fresh coat of paint and a few repairs. He knew Bobby was quite capable of maintaining the house, as Castiel’s eyes settled on one of the only dust free picture frames in the room holding a photo of a blonde woman posing on what might be the same porch steps outside with a younger Bobby, Castiel thought he probably choose not to keep it nice. It’s easier to forget that way.

When he was led into the kitchen, Bobby handed him an apron with a bit of a red face and told him to wash up. “Didn’t seem practical to just throw ‘em out.” He mumbled as Castiel smiled down at the yellow buttercups decorating the apron he was tying at his waist. Bobby was wearing a blue one, obviously much more worn with the pockets torn off and fraying ties. He didn’t mind, Bobby was right, they would protect their clothes from whatever pie baking entailed, it didn’t matter what color the aprons were, he was glad to have one. Especially if it had sentimental value to the cranky man already barking orders about passing things and keeping his work space clean.

The evening passed by quickly. They had barely talked at first, just instructions and Bobby correcting him whenever he misunderstood. Once Castiel started asking questions on how best to do things and showing his genuine interest, Bobby seemed to relax and then the conversation had begun. They talked about holiday traditions and lost loved ones. Castiel didn’t have much to share, but once Bobby started talking, more leaning back to monitor his student’s progress and drink some whiskey from on top of the fridge than actually bake, the stories didn’t stop. He found out more about Dean, Sam, Jo, and Ash than he had in his entire time at the Road House. And he never knew Bobby was such a nice man, a good man yes, but he was kind and truly loved his family. It was good to know his friends were so cared about. On top of that, he was a borderline genius. The things the man knew about history, language and architecture were astounding. At one point he even mentioned Dean told him his tattoo had Enochian in it and showed Castiel an entire library devoted to dead and exotic languages in his living room slash study, one that was still being studied in by the state of the papers and what looked like demon lore strewn across the desk.

A terrifying afternoon quickly turned into a new friendship Castiel hoped to keep for a long time. The first two pumpkin pies might not be perfect, but Castiel was sure that the two apple and two pecan cooling on the counter as he continued to listen to stories and be shown books would be just fine.

It was nearly time for Dean’s shift to end before he left, getting completely lost in Bobby’s history and fascinating home, even his hell hound of a dog turned out to be friendly when they went out to feed him. He made his way home to drop off the pies so they would stay safe and Rumsfeld jaws free for tomorrow’s dinner at the Roadhouse before he cleaned up a bit and headed out to see what Dean had planned for tonight. He wasn’t getting cleaned up for Dean, not really. He just still had on his uniform and there was flour in various places. If he wasn’t supposed to tell Dean he had been baking pies with Bobby all evening, then questions about patches of flour needed to be avoided.

When he finally got across town to Sam and Dean’s apartment and climbed the five flights of concrete steps he would never be a fan of it was to hear a lot of laughing coming from inside and Sam’s yelling. Cas should have expected a drunk Dean seeing as they all had an early night and the day off tomorrow. He opened the door, remembering to knock first but not actually doing it because he’d rather surprise Dean and they probably wouldn’t have heard it over the noise anyway. Only, by the time he’s inside the noise has quieted and there is another man in Dean’s space holding his jaw and complimenting his perfect teeth. Castiel knew Dean had perfect teeth, his smile was bright and beautiful and never failed to make his day better when he was losing his patience with customers but he had never said anything about it, certainly never touched Dean’s face. The two laughed before the new man swayed, grabbing Dean’s shirt to keep his balance.

“Whoa there cowboy. How much have you had to drink?” Dean slurred.

“That thing you made me and a whole beer. I’m going to be hung over before I even overdue it on turkey tomorrow.”

“It was a mudslide and a Blue Moon! You’re worse than Sam.” The man hiccupped and Dean wrapped an arm around his waist to lead him through the kitchen and into his bedroom and it turned into a hug. “Bed. Now. Come on.”

Castiel watched unseen in the door he still held wide open. What had just happened? Well… he knew what happened, Dean brought someone else home. Not someone else, just  _someone._ Castiel shouldn’t think anything of it. They didn’t have scheduled plans just something they typically did when neither was working lunch shift the next day. You didn’t cheat on friendships and this was just a friendship so, it was fine. He heard Sam’s bedroom door open and left, closing the door quietly behind him on his way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N addressing comments: This ‘verse is set two years before Sam moves to Stanford, that will become a little more clear as the chapters continue but there was some X-files timeline discrepancies with the Scully/Moulder ship and I just wanted to clarify that the movies wouldn’t have come out yet. Sam is an undergrad, I’m thinking Junior (21, old enough to drink girly beer, young enough to still be pre-law). So pre-2005 Supernatural series premier date and 2004 first movie release, but close enough to the movie where the news of the movie or a trailer would be out and Cas might admit to never having seen the show, prompting a marathon. Make sense? For questions please feel free to comment any time or stop by thebadassisin.tumblr.com :) thanks for reading!
> 
> -  
> Chapter edited 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	12. Pass the gravy, ya idjit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to a hiking trip into the great internetless wild, I will not be posting next Friday :c   
> I know, please don't come after me with your torches and pitch forks... actually, do bring the torches. They might be useful against wendigos!   
> My apologies for the delay, there are just a few more chapters left and I hope they are worth the wait. I will post the next one as soon as I get back and type it up. Just because I can't bring my laptop doesn't mean I won't be working on the next chapter for you guys :D  
> Love you and will miss you!  
> -BA

**Pass the gravy, ya idjit.**

Dean hears knocking in his dreams. It’s a good dream, a peaceful dawn at the pier with an old fishing rod and his dad’s cooler full of never emptying Del Sols. It felt like one of the dreams where Cas would be showing up any second, those always ended nice. Knocking seemed out of place. Not as out of place as the sudden bass guitar blaring through the scene though.

He groaned at the sun light piercing his eyes as he rolled over and groped for his phone. He hated being woken up by his phone, it was never a good thing. “What?” He snapped, someone better be dying.

“Hey Dean. Sorry if I woke you, Jess gave me your number for when I got here. I guess Sam’s in class, could you let me in?”

“What?”

“Um, it’s Garth. I’m right outside, I just didn’t get here in time to meet Sam and get a key. Jess said you’d be home.”

“ _Garth?”_  Who the fuck was Garth?

“Jess’ brother. If it’s a bad time-”

Dean slammed his head into the pillow a few times before bringing the phone back to his ear. Nice, he needed to be nice, even if it was… Jesus Christ 9am! and he went to bed around 6. Four hours, he needed at least four hours, preferably the ability to sleep until noon when he didn’t need to be in until the night shift. “No it’s fine, on my way.” Dean said hanging up, just because he needed to be nice didn’t mean he needed to make small talk over the phone when he’d see the guy in a less than a minute.

He shuffled groggily to the door, trying to avoid furniture while keeping his eyes squinted closed against the morning-sun-bright apartment. He opened the door to see, well… that wasn’t really what he’d been expecting. The guy was scrawny, in the might be thirty but looked twelve kind of way with,  _was that snoop dog or whatever the fuck he went by now_ coming out of the ear buds hanging around his neck?

“You Dean?” Dean didn’t answer, who the fuck else would he be? “Huh. From the pictures I thought you’d be taller. You know,  _big_ brother.”

“I am tall, Sam’s just a freak of nature.” He turned around to head back inside, the guy only had one bag, he didn’t need to help. “This is the place” He said, going through the apartment quickly and pointing things out so he could maybe make his way back to bed for a little while. “Kitchen, bathroom, Sam’s room, TV. Did you need anything, because-”

“Do you guys get the paper?”

“Uh, Sam does. It’s probably on the table.”

“Cool bro. Most important part of my day.” Dean watched the guy head to the table Sam unearthed from the years’ worth of mail and homework that was covering it last night and sit down, pulling the paper towards him. He was probably going to be disappointed.

“It’s not national or anything, just local bull shit.”

“No man, I just need it for Marmaduke. Gotta see what that crazy dog is up to today.”

“Right.” Dean said. He had to still be dreaming. How was this guy in anyway related to Jess? And how did  _Dean_ remind Jess of her big brother? He needed more sleep. “Well, I have the night shift so I’m going to catch a few more z’s.”

“Alright, I’m good.” Good. Dean went back to his room and tossed and turned for an hour before giving up. First there was Garth laughing loudly and commenting to himself about the comics section he was reading – Dean didn’t need to be caught up on the Peanuts, thanks. And now it was gun fire and random yelling from the TV. Dean ripped open the door to his room, ready to throw the nice guy act out the window along with the television but paused when he saw the A-Team was playing.

“Murdock man, I wanted to be him when I was a kid.”

“Yeah?”

“Well him or Face, but I never could get muscles or a tan. Irish skin. Murdock just suits me better.” Dean could kind of see that. As long as he didn’t go trashing the place trying to make a hover craft, maybe this guy was okay. “It doesn’t have to be now, but before you go to work do you think you could take me to the nearest store? I forgot a few things leaving this morning.”

This morning? “You didn’t drive here?”

“Nope. Plane. I wanted to take my baby but she wasn’t up to the trip, that and the drive would have eaten up my vacation time.”

“Right.” Dean would have let the drive eat up his vacation time if it meant being on the open road and avoiding airports and, euhg,  _planes_ at all costs. He showered and they watched a little TV, Garth pretty comfortable filling the silence with some strange commentary while Dean tried to avoid the conversation aspect of things, opting to distract Sam during his exam and text him about the little weirdo that would be staying in their apartment for the next few days.

Dean introduced Garth to the wonders of Weiner Heaven around lunch time and they hit the store an hour before he had to leave for work. He wanted to check out the bar and that was fine with Dean. Jess had Cas’ old Wednesday night shift and he could pawn the guy off on her for a while. Or Ash, they’d probably get along. He couldn’t wait to see Sam’s face when he met him.

Garth let out a slow whistle of appreciation when Dean unlocked the Impala, well at least he had taste. “Sweet ride. Gotta love the classics. Mine needs a serious paint job right now. I redid it myself a few years back but I’m having a rust problem.” Well that was a topic Dean could jump on.

“What do you drive?”

“Ford Ranchero. Love that thing. She’s a beauty, could use a paint job like I said and I just found a hole in her exhaust pipe I need to patch, that’s why I couldn’t ride up, but she’s real good.”

 _Seriously?_ Dean’s surprised it was still alive. “A  _Ranchero_? Yeah well, no wonder it couldn’t make a cross country trip, it’d die on the first hill you found.”

“She was my first car. Sentimental.” Garth shrugged. That was a sorry excuse for a first car.

“Should’ve gone for the El Camino.”

“Maybe you should have a bought a Mustang.”

“Take that back you heathen.”

Garth chuckled, he obviously didn’t get what sentimentality actually was. Or the value of a classic Chevy versus a classic Ford. “It was my dad’s. My mom let it rot out in the yard before I got my permit and fixed her up. Step dad almost sold it too, but I wouldn’t let ‘im. Too many good memories of what a family is supposed to be. I tried to give those to Jess, her dad was a dick. I got to have the family vacations and a good guy, she got stuck with a real loser.”

Maybe Dean was wrong, he did get it. It seemed like they had more in common than he first thought.

As the day went on, Garth grew on him. The guy was still weird, but he was so happy and honest that you couldn’t  _not_ like him. He definitely had a fiercely protective view of family and Jess and was the kind of nice that wasn’t annoying at all, but just made you smile to be around. Even the over sharing was growing on him, instead of being annoying, it was kind of endearing. He didn’t use too much scarring information, just shared embarrassing things about himself or crazy ideas. Like right now Garth was talking around a burger about how his biggest fear was apparently the tooth fairy.

“The tooth fairy! Aren’t you a dentist, shouldn’t you have little tooth fairies hanging in your office or something?” Jo squealed.

“Oh hells no. I’m talking about the little demon ones that eat the teeth right out of your mouth and then all your bones while you’re still alive and screaming. I ever see one, I’m getting my pliers and drill and that mother is  _Garthed_ like a bad tooth.”

Dean was clutching his stomach in some of the strongest laughter he’d had in a long time.  _Garthed!_ Was this guy serious? Jo seemed intrigued enough to debate the idea of cute little lady fairies that leave you quarters verses demons that rip you apart. Bobby would love this guy, where was the old coot anyway? He never showed up for his usual nightly whiskey with Rufus. Cas didn’t come around either now that he thought about it. That wasn’t so weird. Cas wasn’t a regular on his nights off before they started hanging out. He should probably text him to see if they were still on for movies tonight, although Garth hogging the couch might throw a wrench in that plan and no way was Dean caving and letting Garth have his bed so they could use the living room!

Cas would have nowhere to sleep after anyway. Not that they hadn’t shared a bed before, but doing it sober would probably be… different. Dean wasn’t going to think about that now. Or how Cas would probably get undressed for bed when he wasn’t dead drunk. Or that tattoo.

“Who are you thinking about?” Garth asked, damn him.

“Nobody, just in my head. Organizing the cooler, taking inventory, you know. I’m sure you have… dentist things you zone out to.”

Garth hummed around his straw, not really sounding convinced, but not saying anything. Dean’s opinion had definitely changed, Garth was a good guy all around. “Say, you guys don’t use that blender for milk shakes do you? I could totally go for a malt right now.”

He even changed the subject when Jo was opening her mouth to tease him, he was definitely a good guy. Go Garth. “I guess we could, but Ellen’d murder me if I open the ice cream she’s hiding in the back for tomorrow, even for a guest.” Garth looked pretty disappointed picking at his fries and Dean felt like he had just kicked the guy’s puppy. Seriously, was he twelve? Jo was about to talk again and Garth wasn’t making like he’d stop her. “But I’ll make you something better. You like chocolate?”

“Who doesn’t?” Dean whips him up a mudslide, going as far as to put whipped cream and a cherry on top and Garth chugs it down, not stopping until the straw was sucking air and making that annoying slurping sound that had Dean hiding a smile as some regulars gave stink eyes to the newb they probably figured was just another coed asshole. He needed to call Cas down, this guy might be able to give him a run for his money. Garth swayed on his stool where he was trying to dig the cherry out of his cup with his straw and burped, looking up at Dean with watery eyes. Maybe not. “That was pretty awesome, I don’t usually drink. Say, can I have another one?”

“Garth!” Jess called cutting in and putting a sloppy smile on her big brother’s face. “This is Sam. Sam, this is my big bro Garth.”

“Garth Fitzgerald the 4th, good to meet you man. Been hearing a lot about you all day.” That wasn’t really true but it was pretty funny to watch him slide off the stool and see the height difference between them and how friggin’ terrified Sam looked at a guy who was barely passed his shoulders and just got tipsy off a mudslide.

Dean finished up his shift thinking that this Thanksgiving might actually be awesome.

Screw Thanksgiving, when they got home after a hilariously awkward ride Garth with interchanging talking about what a great guy Dean was and grilling Sam, his brother took his girly beer and fled to his bedroom claiming serious homework when they both knew he had the next two days and the weekend to do it. Garth just laughed and downed his own Blue Moon, going from tipsy to straight out drunk and laughing right off his chair and against Dean, nearly pulling him down too with the grip on his shirt. Dean found himself smiling for the millionth time that day, he couldn’t help it, this guy was so perfectly pathetic that he was kinda awesome. Dean steadied him and Garth grabbed his jaw, squinting at his mouth.

“Did you ever have braces?”

“No, why they that bad.”

“No, your smile is perfect. People would kill to have your teeth. I’m going to have to get a closer look sometime.” Well that wasn’t weird or anything, but maybe all dentists said stuff like that, Dean wouldn’t know, either way Garth was tipping over again and it was time to shut the party down.

“Whoa there cowboy. How much have you had to drink?” He knew he wasn’t exactly sober himself. There were six empty bottles of the Knee Slapper Ellen gave him to try on the counter and he was pretty sure Garth and Sam hadn’t tried any.

“That thing you made me and a whole beer. I’m going to be hung over before I can even overdue it on turkey tomorrow.” That had Dean laughing again. Screw his back, the nutcase could have his bed if he was this bad of a lightweight. That and maybe Cas would still show up, he bet he’d like Garth.

Maybe they could watch the parade in the morning, Dean hadn’t watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade since he was a kid and he was willing to bet Cas had never seen it.

“It was a mudslide and a Blue Moon! You’re worse than Sam.” Dean carried most of his weight while Garth hiccupped into his ear the whole way to his bedroom. This should really be annoying, but instead he was debating whether or not turning back to the kitchen for his phone to record it would be worth the time and energy. When he paused, Garth turned in his arm and gave him a drunk hug. Well funny overly friendly just turned into awkward overly friendly. “Bed. Now. Come on.” He dropped the guy onto his bed and heard the front door close. Cas was here, perfect timing.

He hurried through another awkward hug with his drunk probably-future-brother-in-law and closed the door behind him looking for his friend. All he saw was Sam opening one of the Knee Slappers.

“Did you just go outside?”

“No.” Sam said. “Why?”

“Thought I heard the door.” Sam shrugged, taking a swallow of his beer and heading back to his room. Dean walked through the apartment just to be sure, even checking in on the already snoring and drooling on his goddamn pillow Garth but there was no one. He settled onto the couch and after a couple hours wasted on a Thankskilling marathon, fell asleep.

* * *

Bobby gets up at the crack of dawn and hits every creaking step on his way downstairs, forgetting about the sleeping man on his couch. Castiel doesn’t even stir as Bobby throws the blanket back over him and gets to work prepping the turkey. The kid showed up on his doorstep just as he was turning in for the night, saying he was locked out of his apartment and Dean had “brought home a friend”. Bobby offered up Dean’s old room, but Cas said the couch was fine, probably not anticipating Rumsfeld’s attachment to the furniture at night when Bobby wasn’t around to kick him off. The dog trying to climb up on the too small couch with Cas was probably the reason the blankets fell off in the first place. Cas didn’t seem to mind sleeping curled up on one cushion with the mutt sprawled across the other. Bobby opened the door and gave him a pointed look that worked better than any amount of hollering and Rumsfeld slowly got off the couch and trotted outside to check over his territory.

Bobby had a feeling today was not his day. Of all the times Dean had to take someone home, why did it have to be the day before his bet was due? The idjit just  _had_ to go and ruin all his hard work, Bobby had given away his wife’s recipes damn it. That meant something. He liked Cas, knew he was a good kid, knew he was heartbroken and lonely last night when he knocked on Bobby’s door because he had nowhere else to go. Dean could be a real son of a bitch sometimes.

Once the turkey is ready for the oven and Bobby thinks Cas has had enough sleep, he goes into the living room and turns on the parade. “Rise and shine sleeping beauty.” Cas groans and turns over, very confused for a minute before that sad look carves itself onto his face again. “You want to stay for some breakfast and talk about it?” Castiel goes back to looking confused and shakes his head.

“No, thank you. I appreciate the hospitality but I should be heading home to get ready.”

“Right.” They had hours, but he understood if the kid wanted to be alone for a while, so long as he showed up later it was fine. “Anytime Castiel, I mean that.” He nodded at him, folding up the blanket and digging in the couch cushions for his keys.

“Thank you Bobby.”

“I’ll see you later?” Cas looked a little pale for a minute, not confirming anything. “I don’t know what happened last night that brought you here but I’m telling you right now that if you don’t show up today with those pies I have a lot of land to hide your body. Don’t think Dean won’t hunt you down too.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Good.”

When dinner time came around, Bobby was late. It wasn’t really a surprise to anyone. Even when Thanksgiving used to be at Bobby’s, dinner would always be a little late because the bird never finished cooking on time no matter how early Bobby got up to put it in the oven. He was still earlier than Ellen and the ham though, and that was something because she lived a few yards away and had a utility oven at the damn place that could have made things a hell of a lot faster.

He barely has time to sit the bird down at his end of the pushed together tables before Jess is rushing over with a smiling man. “Bobby, I’d like you to meet my brother Garth, Garth this is the Mr. Singer I was telling you about. I know you guys are going to get along great.” She runs back to Sam, abandoning her brother with him but for the guys credit he doesn’t look like he minds much.

“Nice to meet you Mr. Singer.” He smiled, shaking Bobby’s hand in both his own. “I’ve heard a ton about you and I’d love to see the scrap yard before I go if that’s okay. You don’t have any parts for a Ranchero lying around do you?” They started talking scrap while they waited and Bobby was impressed by how much the kid seemed to know about any topic that came up, especially cars. He figured he’d get along real well with Dean and then when he said the Winchesters were nice enough to let him stay with them, things started to piece together.

Castiel was shooting them cryptic looks and took up the seat next to Becky to chatter about some stupid thing or other instead of taking the space Dean had obviously been saving for him if the disappointed look on his face was anything to go by. He might still be able to work with this.

“Garth, you meet Cas yet? He has a lot of interesting ideas with mythical creatures like your tooth fairies.”

“Uh, well yeah. Can’t say he was too impressed with me though. He always like that or is it just me?” That sounded promising. Bobby pulled him out back with the pretense of going to check on Ellen and the ham and tells him everything. “I had a feeling there was something on Dean’s side, but do you really think Cas is interested? He seems like he’s avoiding Dean to me.”

“You’ve caught him on a bad day, they’re usually struck by cupid stupid around each other. From what I’ve gathered, Cas walked in on whatever you two were doing last night and thinks you’re sleeping together.” Garth’s eyebrows shoot up under the kid’s floppy bangs and he shook his head.

“I mean, we got drunk and Dean let me have his room but there wasn’t anything-”

“Cas is a little innocent with things like that. You probably could have just been sitting on the couch and he would have assumed.”

“But we can use that right?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. You go back and take the spot Dean was saving next to him, maybe get in his space, laugh at his jokes. It could get the kid riled up enough to say something.”

“Or it could make things worse.”

“Nothing’s worse than what’s probably going through Castiel’s head right now. I say we give it a shot.”

Ellen meets them half way down the path and hands the ham off, Garth giving a subtle nod to Bobby and introducing himself on their way back.

Dinner goes off without a hitch, and by hitch Bobby means Garth was very good at being too friendly with Dean. He didn’t even know if the kid was actually trying because he seemed to be too nice in a genuine kind of way with everyone, even Castiel who looked more and more uncomfortable every time Garth opened his mouth. Especially when he insisted everyone share what they’re thankful for and had a special thank you ready for Dean involving showing him around town yesterday and being so welcoming and hospitable. Cas looked about ready to blow. Bobby was starting to feel like Garth was right, it could make things worse, but it was too late to turn back now.

Dinner was winding down and Becky, bless her, was showing interest in the new man around. It seemed to both annoy Cas and give him a look of hope when Garth flirted with her and had Becky talking a mile a minute over the book series they were both apparently addicted to.

“Enough about what I’m studying though, did you go to school for anything? Jess never said.” Becky asked while twirling her hair. Bobby looked to Ellen with their signature 20 bucks bet brow twitch. He was rooting for them, even if it only gave Cas enough of a push to talk to Dean by the end of the night and save his chances at winning the pot.

“I have my DM.”

“Oh wow, that’s right up there with lawyer. I mean, it’s not as cool as a conservationist lawyer like Sam, but you’re a doctor.” Jess and Sam traded a look Bobby was sure was some kind of relief at Becky making Sam look good, oblivious to her trying to keep Sam’s ego fluffed while she showed interest in someone else. These kids, they could have their own soap opera.

“Dentist. I just save teeth, not lives.”

“You could save lives.”

“You really think so?”

“Oh yeah.” Becky gushed. Garth smiled dopily, Bobby gave Ellen a look that said to raise it to fifty and she squinted at him before nodding.

Sam tuned to Dean and said quietly, “You’re right, he grows on you.” Maybe he wasn’t as oblivious to Becky’s intentions as Bobby thought. He didn’t speak quietly enough though. Castiel’s brow furrowed where he was pushing potatoes around on his plate, looking up to glare at Dean’s hand where he gave Garth a clap on the back.

Sam, Becky, Jo and Cas fall into their usual jobs of clearing the table and bringing out dessert while everyone continues to talk. Rufus and Ash are whispering something Bobby is curious about at the other end of the table while Ellen gets up to get something from her office, coming back with a dusty old Santa cap she shakes around.

“Alright everybody. I know some of you crazies are going black Friday shopping tomorrow so let’s do this tonight. Garth honey, you coming back for Christmas?”

“I’d love to ma’am.” He says, shooting another smile at Becky. At least Bobby was winning one bet tonight. Ellen goes to the bar to add another slip of paper with his name on it to the hat and comes back to the table, letting Garth pick first and circling around so Dean is last. He doesn’t miss her slip another paper in before coming to Dean and he knows she rigged it, damn her. That wasn’t a bad idea but it wouldn’t be enough to push them together if the pies that resulted in his proposal of marriage to Karen didn’t. Knowing Ellen though, she probably had a lot of tricks up her sleeve before the holiday. Dean smiled down at his scrap of paper.

“Same rules as last year, I’ll say them again for you Garth. Twenty dollar minimum, Fifty dollar maximum. If I find out you’re telling people who you have or trying to find out who has you before Christmas – your gift goes to charity and I shove coal up your ass.”

Garth and Bobby chuckle. “Sounds fair to me.”

Ice cream, Rufus’ chocolate log and the pies make it to the table before Ellen slips another piece of paper into the hat and goes up to Cas. “Sorry I skipped you sug, your hands were full. You’re coming to the Christmas party too right.”

“I-”

“You’re coming.” Ellen shoves the hat at him again and he takes the paper out. “It’s for Secret Santa. Don’t tell anyone who you have, just buy that person a gift and bring it to the party.” Ellen gives his shoulder a pat on her way back to the table. “Whoever has Rufus, remember it’s eight little gifts for Hanukah instead.”

Dean is taking a chunk out of each pie as they make their way down the table, Cas still standing off to the side frowning at his paper. Maybe Ellen only rigged it for Dean?

“Bobby you’re the greatest, look at all these.” Dean said, a piece of each on his plate with a scoop of ice cream in the middle, making his own mini pie. Cas made his way back to his seat but didn’t take any credit. Bobby was going to have to do all the work today.

Garth piped up around has own mouthful of apple pie. “I thought Cas made them.” He said, good man. “Wow Castiel, this is great.”

“What?” Dean asked, sounding disappointed but looking between his plate and Cas like he was given gold.

“Just taste it, ya idjit.” He was sick of waiting. Sam unleashed one of his pissy faces Bobby’s way and Bobby just rolled his eyes. The kid could bite it, if he couldn’t think of a decent plan he didn’t deserve the money and he knew some of it was going to end up his and Dean’s way anyhow.

Dean and Cas cut into a piece of the pecan pie with their fork at the same time, Cas shoving his in his mouth with a blush while Dean makes the customary moan around his ever since Karen gave him his first piece. “Dude. Marry me.” Dean mumbles around his forkfull, digging in for more. Well, it wasn’t as grand or romantic as what Bobby had in mind, but it had Cas choking on the pie and glares from the rest of the crew burning his skin before they all turned their attention back to Dean and Cas. It took Dean a minute to notice all the eyes on him. “What? Pie’s good, I was just kidding.” Cas smiles the rest of the way through desert so he reckons that’s worth something, but everyone else is smiling too at knowing Bobby didn’t actually win the money yet. Ellen was looking especially cocky, she knew she was going to get it and rub it in Bobby’s face for the rest of their lives.

“Balls.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	13. Back in Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NotreallyAuthor's Note : Hello weird world of fan fiction! George here hacking BA's account. She says hi by the way and apologizes for the delay but she really shouldn't because she is half dead.
> 
> Yeah… camping. Not so great. We hit a storm on the way back and got in a bad car accident. I'm okay because I'm the wonder twin, obviously, but she is pretty bad and not in a badass way like she thinks. If y'all could send her some love I'm sure it would make her day and break my fingers typing up all her responses. We'll be responding to all comments asap so hang in there fangirls and guys and enjoy this new chapter!
> 
> Long story short, BA was out for 10 days, had surgeries for internal bleeding and just got out of the hospital Tuesday afternoon. All she's complaining about though is that both her hands are broken and she misses you and feels bad for not writing. So yeah, I'll be posting her stories to you for a while. Because I'm the best brother in the world… and fully plan on posting embarrassing things about her in the notes as payback for de-tumblr-virgining me.
> 
> Any questions?
> 
> Cool. On with the show. Enjoy the new material and please write to tell us what you think. Your love is like the pain meds she desperately needs and won't take. Give her loving!
> 
> Wonder Twin – out. :)

**Back in Black**

Dean Winchester hated Christmas. He hated the songs and the cheer and the memories of happy times around a tree infused with stealing bullshit presents from Wal-Marts and gas stations for Sam when their dad was too drunk to handle memories of his own. aka - every year since the fire. He stomped his feet against the cold cement, trying to get some warmth and feeling back into them but the chill of the frosted parking lot seeped right through the soles of his work boots. Another time announcement crackled and echoed through the shitty outdoor mall speakers before the Christmas album they had on repeat for the last two hours started over again. He hated Christmas, but it could still be fun with some effort.

There was no excuse for Black Friday.

He saw Cas glare at the radio as it blared another happy tune about family or snow or some shit. Poor bastard. His family sucked big time, he probably had churchy Christmases with caroling and restaurants and other perfect happy TV special disguises and then came home to no presents or something.

And Dean had him for Secret Santa. What the hell was he going to buy? Attendants for the store they were standing in front of started to pass out maps with candy canes and Dean decides it's time to take charge. Sure they still have about a half hour, but they needed a game plan and places to meet back up so they wouldn't have to wait a week for Sam to pick something shiny for Jess or for Jo and Ash to carry out the gag Christmas card photo tradition on Santa's lap.

"Okay, so when they finally let us in, we all separate. No spying!" Dean points at Jo and she gives him the finger, obviously embracing the Christmas spirit in the air with him. "Want to meet back up for breakfast around 5?"

"How can you still be thinking of food?" Jo snaps, yeah she was definitely having a good Black Friday. It's not like it was his idea to stand in the cold for five hours waiting to be trampled to death in front of a mall for crappy sales.

"What? Dinner was hours ago. And that guy over there is eating one of those Thanksgiving sandwiches with everything in it. He puts it down, I'm going for it." And he was. That thing looked insane and smelled even better. Another gob of cranberry sauce and gravy dripped from the sandwich onto the sidewalk as the guy took a bite and Dean was pretty sure some of his drool did too.

"Two hours ago we had to roll your food coma ass into the car."

"And now I'm recovered."

"Alright guys, I'm with Dean. Breakfast sounds great, but first we're here for presents. I don't know everyone as well so... do you guys have a list or something?" At least Garth was on his side and thank god for him because now he might actually get a list from Cas without being obvious or stalking the dude through the mall.

"Yeah Garth, great idea. Who wants what?"

Sam went first. "Uh... gift cards for coffee or music I guess. Best buy. Campus store is always good."

Dean zoned out to the smell of the coffee that sandwich guy was pouring from a thermos. He didn't really need to pay attention. He knew Sam would probably ask for something boring like a gift card to the campus book store and Jo would be ridiculous and ask for throwing knives or something like she had last year. He just wanted to know what Cas wanted. The guy was his best friend but he had no idea what to get and this ridiculous complex forming where he needed to impress him with the right thing. Just... what was the right thing? He felt like one of those friends that always talked about himself and dragged their crew around without really getting to know them. Crap. He was so stuck in his head, he almost missed Cas' answer.

"I've never actually done Christmas." Oh God. He couldn't ruin this for the guy, it was even worse than he thought. This sucked. Cas' family sucked! Dean was going to make this the best Christmas anyone could have. $50 limit be damned.

"What?! After breakfast we're finding a tree. Fuck that Cas, we're giving you the best Christmas our shitty paychecks can buy!"

"That really isn't necessary."

Hell yes it is. "No. When we get in there, forget the person you're supposed to buy for. I'll help you get something later. Go get decorations. Tons. An angel to put on top of the tree, we can even get drunk after and burn the feathery bastard-"

"Dean!" Cas' affronted face was gorgeous – hilarious. He meant hilarious. Maybe adorable, he loved ruffling the guy's feathers.

"Shut up, you're laughing on the inside! Alright. Line's moving. What do you want?"

"I really don't know. I don't have a need for anything you can put on a Christmas list."

"Haven't you seen the cheesy holiday movies?" Castiel looked at him blankly like the idea never occurred to him. "Right it's you." Dean sighed, Cas was not going to make the perfect Christmas an easy task. He might have to recruit Sam, or god help him, Ellen. "Point is you can ask for anything. Alright man, come on. I'll go with you and find decorations."

"You really don't want anything Cas?" Jo asked. Good, now he would probably think Jo had him and Dean could dig into him for a good present without Cas thinking too much about it.

"I could use more socks."

"Socks? What the fuck man? No." Dean had some serious work ahead of him.

* * *

Castiel watched the pile of twinkle lights and half priced ornaments grow. "Dean I can't buy all of this."

"Then what are you going to put on the tree? Or around your place. Cas, we're giving you a real Christmas. Don't make me buy you this 'My First Christmas' bear." Dean said, throwing a polar bear with a blue Santa hat and pacifier back on a shelf he was certain it didn't belong on.

Castiel pushed the cart along as he maneuvered his way through house wives and couples tearing the decoration displays apart. "The question is where are we going to put the tree?"

"What do you mean?" Even though Dean didn't know about the decision Castiel was struggling with, he should know that his apartment wasn't big enough for anything more than the table toppers on display they just passed.

"My lease is running out on the last of the month and I don't want to sign it. I'm tired of living under my landlords strict rules and the rent is going up." Castiel sighed as Dean finally turned around to face him and stopped playing with a box of bells mid jingle. "I might be in between places for a while." Dean looked incredibly concerned, it wasn't that big of a deal he just wouldn't be somewhere permanent enough for all these decorations and might not have the room to store them in his new place.

"Cas. Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not that important, I can handle it." He could, he had been in far worse places before. The timing was inconvenient but he was sure it would work out.

But if Dean was this uncomfortable, maybe a change of subject was in order.

"You never said, what did you want for Christmas?"

"I… Oh no, I see what you did there. Shut up Cas. Have you tried looking for a new place yet? Where are you going to stay? I mean there's my place but you shouldn't have to live on a couch or"

"Dean. Please. I'll be fine, I'm not upset or worried I just don't have room for Christmas." He gestured at the cluttered carriage, hoping that would be enough to make his point.

"Fine." Dean barked out making Castiel flinch back. He didn't mean to make him so mad over nothing. Dean pushed the still full carriage to the side and stomped down the overcrowded aisle. Castiel looked between the abandoned decorations someone was going to have to restock and Dean not knowing what to do. Dean turned back looking sad instead of angry, confusing Castiel all the more. Did he hurt his feelings? "Come on Cas, we'll look around and find things for your list that I can text to everyone. You're not getting socks for Christmas." Castiel grabs the basket and follows him. Maybe they can use the decorations at Dean and Sam's, some of them are actually quite nice. "What are you doing?"

"I just…maybe I could put a few decorations on your tree."

Dean takes back the carriage with a smile. "Alright. Yeah, that's fine. We don't need so much though, if it's just one tree."

"You were buying things for your house too?"

"Well, yeah. We haven't really done Christmas outside of The Roadhouse in a while." Castiel was beginning to think this was more complicated than he was going to be able to understand today, maybe even before the holiday. When it came to Dean Winchester and the face the man was making now, it usually linked back to family and Castiel forgot for a few hours of being the only one without holiday cheer that maybe Dean hadn't had happy Christmases either. But he was trying to have one for Castiel and that meant more to him than Dean would ever know. Even if he didn't want a Christmas or know how to have one, Castiel was going to try and make it perfect for his friend. "You want white lights or colored?"

Castiel liked the white ones, simple, bright and elegant, but the multicolored ones seemed so much happier. He saw a woman bustle by with boxes of plain red ones and thought maybe a compromise was best. When he came back with a box of his own, Dean was smiling again if still looking a little stressed and Castiel thought he must have picked the right thing.

"Okay. But if I remember right we're going to need two. I'll grab some more, why don't you pick out some fancy ornaments so our tree doesn't look like a half off special. Dean started putting some of the boxes of glass orbs back and getting rid of the lights. Castiel ignored that they were all going back on a shelf with wreaths, and started to look through the ornaments for things Sam and Dean might like. He felt like he was being tested on a subject he'd never studied the commercialism aspect of and kept being drawn towards the nativity scene ornaments only to mentally slap his hand away from them and look at snowflakes or a Chevy logo. Was that appropriate? Dean drove a Chevy, he liked cars. The woman next to him was loading up on ornaments made out of sprigs of berries. He'd seen those before, that was probably a popular and therefore safe choice.

Dean came up behind him to look at his choices and Castiel couldn't help but be a little nervous as he held up the ribbon wrapped bunch. "This one's nice... Right?"

"Uh…" Dean’s eyes snapped from the ornament in his hand back down to his face. Castiel swallows when he thinks Dean's eyes seem to linger on his lips. "That's mistletoe. You, uh, kiss under it." Dean says, tongue darting out to lick his lips.

Castiel freezes, he doesn't know what to do with this information. He knew that. He should have recognized it as mistletoe and not holly or some stupid craft project berry bundle like he thought. Only now, he couldn't seem to lower his arm from where he was still holding it up for Dean's inspection and his eyes were stuck where they had caught Dean wetting his lips. This wasn't good. "Dean." His mouth said without his permission. He didn't get a chance to panic or lean in like his body was seeming to do without him too before a couple of girls walked by giggling in their direction and the moment was gone. Dean grabbed the mistletoe and threw it on the bottom of the display with other fallen ornaments.

"Yeah, so we don't need that.

Castiel cleared his throat and snapped his mind away from what happened. There was no need to make it awkward, Dean obviously wasn't thinking the same thing he was, it was just all of the couples around him and the Christmas love songs still playing through the mall. It was all in his head. "I was looking at these too," Castiel said picking up a reindeer made out of twigs and pointing back at the car and sports team logos, friendly meaningless ornaments he categorized them in his mind, ignoring the more homey feeling ones he had been thinking about before. He was staying clear of the berries and their awkward power forever.

Soon enough their basket was filling up again and things seemed to be going back to normal.

"Alright, did you need anything else here?" Castiel shakes his head. He had an idea of what he wanted to get for Dean but he thought he would have a better chance at finding it in the bookstore at the other end of the mall. Well, that and he couldn't buy it in front of him. "Good, maybe we lucked out and missed the long lines." Dean smirked as they headed towards the front of the store. Castiel didn't think they were that lucky.

When they finally got through the line that came close to rivaling the one to get in the mall, Castiel tried to make a break for it. He put the last bags into Dean's trunk before beginning to step back. "Are you going to wait here and meet everyone for breakfast?"

"Yeah, but I was going to grab a gift card for Sam so I don't have to come back to this overcrowded shit hole until next year. Why?"

That complicated things, but he could still make it work. "You're not supposed to say who your Secret Santa is."

"I’m not, it's just a family gift. Why?" Dean asked again. It was usually easier to distract him.

"I had something else I wanted to pick up too." He shrugged, going for nonchalant but knowing it probably looked as awkward as it felt. "Want to split up and meet back here so we don't have to wait in two lines?" Hopefully the threat of another ridiculously long line would be enough to have Dean not asking any questions."

"Alright. Meet you back here for 5?"

"Alright." Castiel nodded, trying to force a smile too. If Dean caught on, he didn't say. They both headed to the side entrance and Castiel started to get nervous that they might be headed to the same place but squashed it down when he thought how many stores were in this mall. The thought came back amplified when they took the same turn after turn down the packed halls. "Where are you headed?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Barnes and Noble, you?"

Castiel officially panicked, "Uh…this one." He said turning into the first store on his right. When he looked up it was to see endless rows of undergarments in all their feminine forms and mannequins with glittering wings. Well that was embarrassing. He turned around to leave but Dean was still behind him with a brow up like he was calling Castiel's bluff and waiting for an explanation. "Secret Santa. I'll see you later." He waved, trying to keep a stoic poker face up and the blush out of his cheeks even as a sales associate modeling the lingerie approached and asked if he needed assistance. Dean's other eyebrow met the first but he just laughed and carried on his way. "No, thank you." Castile told the woman with the store maps and, well that was revealing. "Y-you look very nice." He said, fleeing the store and trying to discreetly tail Dean to Barnes and Nobel where they hopefully wouldn't run into each other. It shouldn't be too hard, Dean said he needed gift cards, he would probably go straight to the registers.

Only he didn't see Dean at all. The man had gone between two aisles headed towards the back of the store and never came out. Castiel tried not to worry about it. He knew the back of the store had a coffee shop Sam frequented and the bathrooms. Dean was probably stuck in a line for either one. He weaved cautiously through the rows, keeping an eye out should Dean resurface while Castiel was trying to find the books he was looking for. He had thought of it a while ago and was planning on buying them for Dean's birthday, but they would make a nice Christmas gift as well, and maybe if Dean liked them he could make a birthday gift out of the movies.

When he finally found them, he was a little disappointed to see that the boxed sets all had the movie actors on them, but that feeling was squashed when he saw the detail in the separate books cover art and a sticker saying there was a note from J.R.R. Tolkien in this edition. Separate books it would be. It might be fun for Dean to unwrap more things anyway.

Castiel just hoped he would like them. He knew Dean loved to read if it was the right book just as much as he loved movies and television. He also knew that Led Zeppelin referenced Tolkien's works a lot and that The Hobbit was something Dean had always meant to read but never got around to. He had a feeling Dean would like the adventure tale and deeper meanings in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and really hoped he was right.

When he got to the front of the store, Castiel saw that a group of high school kids were there wrapping presents. As he got closer to the front of his line, he could see a sign asking that patrons support the local school’s clubs and donate a dollar to have their purchases wrapped. That would be perfect. This way if Dean tried to look in the bag it would completely cover his tracks. Well that, and he wouldn't have to worry about buying wrapping paper or wasting an entire roll trying to figure out how to wrap something properly.

Castiel finally made it out of line, ten dollars short of his maximum spending rule from Ellen. Maybe he could get a Weiner Heaven gift card to go with it. Or bake Dean another pie. Gift card, definitely gift card, he was not going to think about the noises Dean made at Thanksgiving dinner right now.

The wrapping paper tables all had lines too and the longer he was in the store the more nervous and rushed he felt to get out. Dean could reappear any second and he needed to go. Castiel was about to cave when he noticed that the long lines were all for the sports teams and there was one right in the middle labeled Gaming that only had one person. He took another look around and went for it.

"Hey, thank you for supporting South Dakota Central High's Electronics and Gaming club I'm Charlie you can pick a kind of paper that you like and Oh my God! Excellent choice. Those are my favorite!" She exclaimed. People around them turned to look their way even over the din of Christmas music, cash registers and whining customers.

"Thanks, they're for a… friend."

"The Sam to your Frodo, huh?"

"Uh" Castiel didn't really know what to say, he just needed her to wrap and was now guilted into staying by the empty tip jar while they were surrounded by sports teams with overflowing fishbowls. "I think he's more the hero type."

"Sounds like somebody's got a crush." The red head teased, pulling the books towards her. "Aw, this rerelease cover is so nice and ooh! Author's note. Sweet. Did you pick a paper?" Castiel looked at the rolls he had to choose from and panicked. There were too many choices with this stupid holiday and too much pressure to show Dean he wanted him to have a nice Christmas too. "You feeling okay?"

Castiel remembered Dean's smile when he came back with the red lights and decided to stick with the color. "The red one."

"For all of them?" Charlie frowned. He got the feeling she was judging him.

"They're all going to the same person."

"Yeah but, don't you think this gold one would go nice with The Hobbit? I mean you've got Smaug and the dwarves' treasure and the ring and Bilbo's little hero heart to consider. And then the snowflakes could be cool with Fellowship because"

Castiel was starting to lose his patients and he was certain the cropped hair and leather jacket that just got in line a few rows down was Dean. "Fine. That's fine. You can choose."

She gave him such a genuinely happy smile that Castiel felt a little guilty again at how frustrated he was. "Right. Okay, so gold for The Hobbit. Let me just measure the paper."

"Good, looks good. Can we just hurry? Maybe?"

"Yeah, of course. I get it." She smiled down at the package again. "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit" She spoke as she wrapped, "Not a nasty, dirty-"

"Are you quoting the book right now?"

"Best opening lines in Westerns Literature. I'm just showing her the love she deserves before wrapping her away for a whole month." She continued to mumble as she folded and taped, but at least she was wrapping and it looked like Dean was still stuck in line. The way Charlie talked about the book… she reminded him a lot of Dean. Hopefully he would love it just as much. "There ya go Bilbo." She said, rubbing down a last piece of tape."

"Great." Dean's line was moving fast and if she kept it up at this rate there was no way he was going to be out of the store before Dean noticed.

"Wait until they're all wrapped together and I decorate them!"

"Decorations?"

"Oh yeah, we have ribbons, little mini candy canes, jingle bell tags and mistletoe!"

"No, I don't need mistletoe!"

She looked up at him where she paused in wrapping Fellowship as if she could read his mind. "Oh, I think you do."

"Just – his line is almost finished and I'm meeting him. Could you just please hurry?"

"I got it, I got it. Warp speed" She gave him an odd V fingered salute he was sure Dean would understand and got back to her wrapping, but it wasn't fast enough. Dean finished paying and turned around right in time to meet Castiel's eyes checking on his progress.

"Oh no."

"Crap, is he headed this way? I haven't even finished Two Towers yet. Stall him."

"I can't." Dean looked down at his bag before walking over. "What do I do?"

"I could hold them here and you could sneak back?"

"Really?" He gaped at her, maybe there was Christmas spirit in the air after all.

"For a price." Or maybe it was just more consumerism in disguise. "Hey, you see this empty jar? I have to fill this or my club is being shut down so jock straps can rule the world. So not cool. I can't laugh at them while they pump my gas if I don't have a kick ass car from my profits hacking Enron because my electronics club was shut down before I got to master the ways of the force." He only understood about half of what she said but he got that a bribe was in order and Dean was getting closer.

"I will put $20 in that jar and let you use whatever paper you want if you hide them under the table right now and save them for me until I come back."

"20, really? And I'm only here until ten, just so you know."

"I'll be back in a couple hours."

"Maybe we could make it 20 per book?"

"You can't be serious."

She turned to look over her shoulder and back at Castiel as if to judge who he was watching. Dean gave a little wave and he wanted to die but put the energy into waving back anyway. "He's getting closer. Should I ask his opinion on what color paper for what characters?"

"$50."

"Deal." She grinned, moving the stack of books under the table.

"Hey Cas, what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you."

"At the wrapping line?" Dean asked skeptically. His poker face was getting a workout today.

"I was making a donation, the football team is getting all the money and this table reminded me of you and Ash." He looked back to Charlie. Yes, both Dean and Ash would definitely use knowledge to his advantage for money, especially if embarrassing someone was an option. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Gaming?"

"It's an electronics club too."

"Cool. You wanna wrap this for me?" Dean passed over a gift card from the coffee shop on the other side if the store.

"Absolutely. What wrapping paper would you like?"

"Uh, the red one I guess." Castiel gave Charlie the best I told you so look he could muster before Dean elbowed him. "Sam's favorite color. He likes the whole traditional red and green thing on Christmas." Charlie gave her own triumphant face in return and thanked Dean when he put a dollar in the jar. Castiel dropped a ten in to not look too suspicious donating 50 and whispered that he would be back with the rest as he followed Dean out. "You say something Cas?"

"Just Merry Christmas. What else did you buy?"

" _Secret_ Santa, Cas. Where's yours? No luck in the panty department?" Castiel had a feeling he was never going to live that particular blunder down. "Oh man, you should have seen your face! Do me a favor man."

"What's that?"

"Don't ever change." Maybe never living it down wasn't such a bad thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited 21 January 2014  
> Please bring any mistakes we missed to the comment section or thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Thank you - WT


	14. WT is not good with snarky titles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello crazy fanfictioners. Wonder Twin here again. Thank you for all the comments, support and well wishes for BA. She is on the mend though she had some trouble with the meds she’s on for pain and preventing infection and had to go back to the hospital this week to be checked out. :c All is good now though, for the most part. Still pain and unfortunately trouble holding down food because the pain killers make her super nauseas and food hard to swallow.  
> This is a short update and a little late. Sorry, that’s my fault. BA is having trouble writing and typing with her casts so I’m supposed to be typing this stuff out for her but life is crazy for both of us right now and her health has to come before her stories no matter how much she fights it. Am I right? Please tell her I’m right. She’s more stubborn than a Winchester, I swear. And cranky too, cuz pain. No fun man, tough times. Anyway, enough of my stealing the show. Here’s your story. Enjoy!  
> -WT

After a breakfast filled with stories of Black Friday shopping adventures, Santa torture by Ash and Jo and far too much food for 5:30am, the group walked Garth and Jess to Jess’ car to bid their new friend farewell. Sam might actually miss the weirdo. Dean was right – he grows on you.

And if the look on Becky’s face was anything he wouldn’t be the only one. That was an unexpected blessing. He would make sure they stayed in touch. He knew Garth pulled Becky’s name, the guy was a little too obvious when they were shopping to keep the secret, Sam would have to give him some pointers on what to buy so she’d stay impressed.

“See ya in a month man. You going to stay at the apartment again?” Dean asked, helping move suitcases from the impala to Jess’ trunk. He didn’t look like he was expecting Garth to turn around and hug him. Sam had to bite back a laugh as he kissed Jess goodbye and closed the car door for her.

“Yeah Dean, that would be great. Oh man, it was so cool to meet you guys. I can’t wait until Christmas.” The hug definitely went over the three second line. Was that for just handshakes or hugs too? It should be for hugs, because Dean learned to like Garth just fine over the last few days, but now he looked like he was about to pummel the guy, it was awkward. Sam turned to Castiel to laugh at the moment with him but immediately sobered when he took in Cas’ dark glare. Cas needed sleep, he was not looking too happy. Or looking away. He probably just wanted Garth to drive to the airport already so he could go home and crash before work. …Or maybe he was jealous.

“Alright Garth.” Dean said, clapping the guys back a couple times trying to use the universal signal for long enough. Garth backed off and smiled that dopey grin at him before giving quick hugs to everyone else and jumping in the car to wave out the window as Jess pulled away.

“Aw. You made a fwend.” Sam baby voiced at him. He had to get his punches in when he could, and maybe it would diffuse Cas’ jealousy if that’s what it was.

“Shut it bitch, I have friends. Right Cas?”

Cas just hummed in agreement, he couldn’t help but step farther away from the cranky vibe leaking off the guy. Maybe he was just tired.

“Come on jerk, I have some stuff I need to talk to you about at home.” Sam said, trying to end the awkward again. He did have some news. Some news that he hoped Dean would be too tired to get angry over and that he was too nervous about to keep on his chest until after work tonight.

“Can’t it wait until work? I’m wiped.” Sam rolled his eyes and shot what he hoped was a look that didn’t come off as too ‘bitchy’ as Dean liked to refer to them. Jo and Ash said their see you laters as Dean took the hint. “Fine, let’s go.”

Dean drove them back to the mall so Cas could get his car while Sam watched his brother try to not look like he was asking their friend on a date to go Christmas tree shopping on their next day off. If he didn’t already owe so much to the pot, he’d put in a bet for that day. A little hot chocolate, fake snow and decorating a tree, if that wasn’t the most romantic thing he’d ever seen his brother pitch to someone he didn’t know what was. Castiel invited Sam and Jess along too and Sam ignored the little head shake Dean gave him. He really wanted to see this, and the tree would end up in his apartment too so he had a right to help pick it. Sam wasn’t Christmas’s biggest fan, he didn’t have a lot of great memories tied to the holiday. Just Dean being miserable while trying to paint on a smile and make the day great for him. He hoped Dean’s Christmas cheer for Cas’ benefit this year would give them all a nice holiday for once.

“Alright Sam, spill.”

“What?”

“We have a car ride to talk it out during. The more you say now, the faster I can get to bed when we get home.”

Sam rolled his eyes again but had to admit Dean had a point when he had to hold back a yawn. “Alright, just… don’t get mad while driving.”

“Well this sounds like it’s going to be fun.”

“Jess has to move out of the dorms for winter break.”

“Okay…Is she going home to Garth’s or are you just trying to ask if she can stay with us?”

“No, I mean the dorms are really horrible and she’s been having trouble with her suite mates and she doesn’t want to move back.” He let that sink in for a minute, Dean wasn’t saying anything but he didn’t look like he was going to blow a gasket so either his brother didn’t get it or this was going to go a lot better than he thought. “There are off campus apartments opening up from people dropping out before finals and winter graduates so if we act fast we can grab one of th-”

“We?”

 

“Well,” Sam knew his voice cracked, this was going to be the hard part. Aside from the one time he “ran away” to the Harvelle’s shed for a week Dean and he had never really been apart and he knew his brother was very protective of keeping that little bit of family safe and close. It was smothering sometimes but he got it. He just hoped Dean would be okay and think about it instead of blowing up and shutting the idea down before Sam even stated all the facts. “Jess wanted to get on the list as soon as possible so she would be guaranteed an apartment but that means she would be moving soon. Like in a couple weeks if she got a drop-outs apartment or during winter break at the latest. And she said she could handle the first month’s rent by herself but then… well she would need a roommate.”

“Did you plan this?” Dean sounded really calm. Not even calm before the storm calm – like best case scenario calm and Sam didn’t know what to do with that reaction.

“What?”

“Never mind. So you want to be her roommate?”

“I mean, I don’t want to stick you with the rent for our place alone. She has some more people that she can ask, but Dean I really want this.” Dean was nodding his head, staying silent. Sam hoped that was a good thing and not the passive aggressive sacrificing Dean was known to do on his behalf from time to time. “But if it’s not okay with you, I won’t.”

“It’s fine Sammy.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that right? How are you going to afford rent alone?”

“I won’t be alone.”

Sam was at a loss for reaction again. This day was full of surprises. “What?”

“I mean, I haven’t asked yet but Cas’ lease is up at the end of the month and he’s in a bad spot so I was trying to figure out how to help him anyway…” Holy shit, Dean was going to ask Cas to move in with him. With them, maybe, if Sam didn’t want to leave. Sam had so many questions, most dealing with what all this meant, but he had a feeling his brother wasn’t thinking of those things yet so, to avoid any Cas related freak outs and Cas maybe ending up homeless as a result, he kept his mouth shut. Dean finally making a move whether he realized it or not – that had to be a Christmas miracle.

* * *

It was a slow night at The Road House, especially for a Friday, but holidays tended to do weird things to business. Ellen and Bobby had been chatting about maybe closing up early tonight, which Dean would in no way mind at all – he was still excited and very much looking forward to going home and entering a pie leftovers coma. Everyone was slowly gathering at the bar with heated up leftovers from the party the night before. Dean had been thinking about how to ask Cas to move in all day. The guy was stubborn and independent, he didn’t want to offend him. He felt like he had that morning when he mother hened all over the guy when Cas said he was practically going to be homeless as of December first. He couldn’t help it. Dean knew how that felt. Living out of motels and a car wasn’t a picnic, especially in a South Dakota winter.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered Cas had a few shitty living experiences after having to leave school but he didn’t have details and he didn’t want Cas to have to go through any of that again. Still, was it weird to ask him to move in. Did that sound intimate? It didn’t really, Dean never would have thought it did until Sam gave him this look like rainbows were shooing out his ass or something and he remembered the kid was trying to set them up.

It wasn’t weird. It shouldn’t be weird. Friends lived together all the time. It wasn’t like they were going to be sharing a bedroom or anything.

Flashbacks to waking up with Cas on top of him were not needed right now. He needed to just ask before this got too big in his brain. Cas would not go homeless because Dean was maybe a little attracted to him sometimes. Very rarely. Probably like once a month, or week or something. Definitely not once a day or anywhere near all the time. And even if he was, Dean was a confident man comfortable with his sexuality and Cas was… attractive. It didn’t mean they needed to act on anything. Especially since they were friends and coworkers and besides that, Cas had never done _anything_ with _anyone…apparently ever_. It was a sin against humanity but Dean wasn’t going to ruin that for Cas or a perfectly good friendship at the same time.

Cas was finally giving up on his section and walking over to the bar to join the others and Dean really shouldn’t have been thinking about attraction and Cas at the same time because he was pretty sure Cas didn’t walk in slow motion. Just the guy untying his apron had the _wrong_ idea shooting through him and Dean decided it was now or never. Forget whatever was going on in his head and just ask. Done. Simple. No problem.

“Cas. Move in with me.” That sounded more like a demand than a question. And he may have said it a little too loud if the dead silent reaction of everyone around them was anything to go by. He probably should have waited for Cas to actually reach the bar too. God, he wasn’t usually this awkward, Cas must be rubbing off on him and _No brain, bad! God, what was wrong with him today?!_

“Dean…I” Cas start-stops and doesn’t really finish.

“Wait… are they already dating and we missed it?” Jo asks Ellen in a voice pitched so high Dean’s ears hurt. She was spending too much time with Becky. And no!!! He hoped Cas didn’t see it like that. What was with everyone in this place?

“That counts as mine.” Bobby said.

“What? No it doesn’t, yours past.” Ellen barked at him, Dean really didn’t want to know.

“It’s only been one day and yours is a whole month away.”

“Guys what are you bitching about?!” Dean shouted at them, he was officially stressed out and really didn’t want care about whatever they were fighting over. It was distracting Cas, and he just wanted an answer before his nerves melted him through the floor. “So Cas, what do you say? I mean, not right this second, but you know. Next week your lease runs out and Sam is moving in with Jess so I’ll have the extra room. You might have to crash on the couch for a while until their new place is ready, but I mean-”

“Yes, Dean. Thank you. If you’re sure, that is. I don’t want to impose.”

“Shut up, you’re around all the time anyway. This would just make it more permanent.” Dean didn’t know why he was still talking.  “Just let me know whenever you’re ready to pack up your shit and I’ll help out.” And now he just volunteered for his least favorite activity in the world – moving. It was one thing when they where kids and lived out of one duffle each and got to see every state they could reach by car. It was another thing when you had to pack up years worth of odds and ends only to unpack it all a half hour away.

Cas was smiling at him and something stomped all the negative thoughts down. Seeing Cas genuinely happy like that a little more often would make any amount of packing worth it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Come check us out at thebadassisin.tumblr.com for story updates, fun facts about BA's fanfiction and other cool fandom stuff :)  
> Thanks for reading!  
> -WT


	15. Dean Can't Stop This Feelin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey y’all! Still WT here. Sorry for the late update, I won’t go into the DR Sexy MD level drama we’ve been going through but you guys know you can always message us for details here or at thebadassisin.tumblr.com/ask  
> Without further ado I give you the first portion of our Christmas shenanigans! I want to promise Ellen’s plan and the REALLY fun stuff will be up this weekend, but let’s face it – our posting schedule is insane right now. Just know that we are writing and posting as fast as we can.  
> Thank you for sticking with us and enjoy the show!  
> WT ;)

Dean was glaring at the Christmas tree. A real pine tree with some fancy name that made it more expensive than the fluffy ones that probably couldn’t hold an ornament anyway but was still cheaper than the ones that looked kind of blue. Dean had liked the blue ones. They were sharp and looked a little alien, and they smelled more like orange trees than pine trees. It reminded him of the time his dad had made it down to Florida with them and he almost succeeded in sneaking Sam into Disney World. That week had been a special kind of hell, kind of like Christmas tree shopping. A weirdly happy hell. Maybe like a purgatory. It was ridiculously crowded with kids running around mindless of chain saws revving to cut down what people picked and their parents looking a mix of being ready to drive off the next cliff and being ready to break into carols and start an abcfamily moment.

It was creepy. Not to mention drunk Santa or the elves who were dressed for the dad’s not the kids.

Dean didn’t mind that part honestly.

Sam and Jess kept veering off and back looking for something small for her/their new apartment and probably making out if the blush they were both sporting was anything to go by. Dean didn’t think a small tree was that bad of an idea what with the overlap of Cas moving in and taking the couch until Sam moved out, but he still wanted Cas to have to full Christmas experience and that meant a monster.

Only thing was, “Who the hell pays sixty five bucks for a tree? It’s going to die and get put on the curb in a month! What the hell?!”

“Well, we’re going to split the cost so technically it’s about thirty three dollars with tax.” Cas tried to reason. It wouldn’t have taken much to convince Cas they didn’t need a tree that morning but he seemed to be enjoying himself now that they were here, even springing for the six dollar hot chocolate he had to mix himself with hot water and a packet of Swiss Miss. Thieves, these people had to be rolling in it.

“Technically we’re being robbed.” Dean spit back. They had passed some nice fluffy trees for forty five bucks on the way in, but he had made a fuss that they were already brown in spots and looked like one ornament would tip them over. Suddenly, that seemed okay. They could make a thing of it. Watch _A Charlie Brown’s Christmas_ and the whole shebang.

“We’re not getting the trees you were bitchin’ about, Scrooge.” Sam said, reading his mind like the freak baby brother he was.

Snow crunched and mud gurgled under their feet as they trudged on, Sam and Jess deciding to get one of the precut table toppers from the store Cas bought his hot chocolate in and devoting their time to helping Cas find the perfect beast of a tree Dean wanted.

He thought they were finally done when Cas spotted an eight foot Blue Spruce but Dean almost popped a blood vessel at the eighty dollar price tag. He wasn’t going to say anything, he wasn’t a Scrooge, Cas could have any tree he wanted and that one was really nice, but he sighed with relief when Cas changed his mind and went for the one now in their living room. A seven foot, green, soft thing with no holes or brown spots that they got ten dollars off the price for because Cas thought to ask if they could cut it and tie it to the car themselves for a discount. He loved Cas….tiel’s brain. God, it was weird. That whole day, even though he can admit he was being cranky and a Scrooge, he and Cas just kept having these… moments? He didn’t know what else to call it. Maybe it was because Sam and Jess were being all coupley and the stupid Christmas love songs blaring through the tree farm. But it didn’t stop when they got home. And it only got worse when Sam moved out a week later. And then it kind of hit him last night when he and Cas were grocery shopping together and the cashier gave them this Becky approved wink and smile that – oh crap, they looked like a couple.

And he laughed it off, almost brought it up to Cas as a joke and then had to stop again because son of a bitch, he liked it. And that was bad. Really bad. This whole month had been that special hell for him of awkward moments and happiness and now that he knew what it was, Dean didn’t know what to do.

So he turned off the TV when Cas said he was going to bed and cleaned up a little, picked up his room, did some much needed laundry, put almost everything they had brought away and stormed to his room to freak out. Because cleaning – let’s face it – he was Dean Winchester, this was not an appropriate form of Dean Winchester freak out. He needed space, he needed whiskey and he needed to think. Thinking turned into four hours with no sleep and eventually storming out for a walk and to find somewhere still open that would give him whiskey.

And then coming home hopelessly sober to stare at the tree. The stupid fucking tree. With its red lights that Cas picked twinkling and star that Cas wanted instead of an angel glowing brightly in the dark room, ornaments reflecting the light onto the rug and… a box.

A box that wasn’t there when he left.

So here he was, glaring at a Christmas tree.

But back to the point, it’s not that Dean minded the tree Cas picked, or the THREE times it fell over, or the forty dollar metal stand they had to buy to replace the half off plastic one they bought black Friday so the damn thing would stay upright, or the smell of pine, or his allergies (Suddenly the memory of the plastic piece of crap he nicked from a liquor store’s dumpster when Sam was 7 looked so much better.), it was the gift.

Four little packages wrapped neatly, each in a different color paper, and stacked on top of each other, tied with the same bow. And a sprig of mistletoe.

Dean tried not to let curiosity get the best of him. He’d leave the gift alone. It was obviously from Cas to his Secret Santa pick. He looked at the time and forgoed sleep that he knew wouldn’t come to take his shower and get breakfast. He wasn’t thinking about it. Or how nice it looked. Or the friggin’ mistletoe.

Cas knew what mistletoe was for now, they had a very memorable conversation about it in the mall. At least it was memorable to Dean. So who would Cas give mistletoe to?

And no, he wasn’t jealous. Just curious. And a little sick feeling, but that was probably his allergies. Stupid tree. Friggin’ Christmas.

“Morning Dean.”

“Morning!” He said a little too cheerfully. He would not be a Scrooge in front of Cas. He would not let him know his inner turmoil (God he was such a girl, Sam was rubbing off on him).The guy was obviously excited about Christmas and he wasn’t going to ruin it. He was probably even going to have to rewrap his presents in something more than newspaper and too much tape now. Dammit.

Suddenly the thoughts of all things cranky and Christmas were wiped out of his head as he turned to see Cas rooting around through some grocery bags they left on the table last night. Shirtless. With bed head. Jesus Christ, inviting Cas to move in with him had been the worst move for their friendship Dean could have ever made. He had to know that subconsciously right? That Cas would constantly be walking around in pajamas or sweat pants? And that really shouldn’t do anything for him, but to see such a neat and tidy, always gotta look my best, wears a dress shirt to sling burgers guy walk around with wrinkled sweats hung low on his hips and old college t shirts covered in holes… well apparently it does it for him. And don’t even get Dean started on the friggin’ tattoo.

Right now he was watching as the muscles played underneath the ink while Cas was probably looking for the shampoo Dean didn’t quite have the brain cells to tell him he moved to the shower already. And that sight was sinful enough, but soon Cas would be fresh out of the shower, little beads of water dripping from his hair and down his bare back, following the lines of ink and getting lost in the burned feathers – well, Dean was seriously looking at his life and his choices.

Mainly his choice to keep quiet on the crush front. Because that’s what this was now and he had no idea how long he had been fooling himself that it wasn’t.

Yeah, at first he could lay on the cool front and pretend to himself that Cas didn’t matter, he was just a nice thing to look at and a nice guy to talk to every once in a while. But then they became friends and that just  _did_ something to his brain. Because as much as he was lusting before, now that he knew the guy, ‘before’ was like child’s play. And sure, maybe taking things into his own hands a few times wasn’t the best course of action because now he might have a Pavlovian response to the guy being anywhere near the shower, but what else was he supposed to do?

Because they  _were_ friends. Now friends and  _roommates._  Rent depended on him not fucking this up. Literally. Maybe the roommate thing  _was_  weird. Maybe it couldn’t be like it was on TV, maybe everyone’s reaction when he asked Cas to move in with him were right.

But then what did he do about it?

There was definitely something there on Cas’ side too, if anything proved that it was the mistletoe mishap on Black Friday.

But Dean didn’t know what it was. Was it just a second of attraction, was Cas at the lusting stage Dean had convinced himself he was at for months? Dean didn’t think he could do anything with that. One night stands, he was all over them – that worked. But when emotions got involved… Dean was a little messed up at that part. He couldn’t just be with someone he had feelings for. It was hard enough the couple of times feelings were mutual, he didn’t think he could handle being friends but wanting more with someone he was sleeping with. Hell, he couldn’t even imagine a fuck buddy situation. That just spoke all kinds of awkward.

The look Cas gave him that night had to be something else. Maybe it was just some lazy, post big Thanksgiving dinner and being with family and feeling lonely thing? He could relate to that. Or maybe Dean was reading too much into it all together and the mistletoe thing wasn’t anywhere near as big as he wanted it to be. Hence, meaningless Christmas gift decoration.

Or maybe there actually was something there. No. There wasn’t. Cas would have said something by now. And he probably wouldn’t have moved in.

Right?

“Dean?” Cas’ voice had that amused gruff to it that meant he had been talking and Dean hadn’t been listening. Crap. Great, he was probably tracking the guy’s movements like a creep while he was stuck in his head.

“Sorry what?”

“Have you seen the bag from last night? The one with the shampoo and toothpaste?”

“Bathroom.”

Cas held his eyes for a moment as if reading his soul before asking, “Are you okay?”

Dean hated that question. He had never once in his life been happy to hear that question. What do you say besides ‘I’m fine’? Nobody actually cared about the answer anyway. Right now he would be a hell of a lot better if Cas would put a shirt on and he could rip the mistletoe off the present under the tree and throw it into a wood chipper. “I’m fine, Cas.”

* * *

 It was an odd drive to work. Dean was tense, more tense than usual and Castiel didn’t know what he had done this time. When Dean punched the radio, cursed Journey and “stupid pointless songs about not being able to stop stupid pointless feelings”, pulled the box of tapes from the back seat and deposited them in Castiel’s lap, he thought maybe it wasn’t him at all.

“Just pick something that isn’t depressing as hell.”

Things were getting progressively stranger. Dean loved to quote at him that the driver picks the music and he can shut his cake hole about it. He never let Castiel pick. “Are you sure everything is alright?”

“I’m fine Cas! Stop asking, will ya?”

Castiel was starting to get tired of the tone. At first he felt guilty, his go to reaction when people were yelling or mad in his general direction, but now he was getting pissed. Especially if Dean’s mood wasn’t his fault. He shouldn’t be blamed for feeling the need to know what was wrong when Dean so obviously wasn’t ‘ _fine’_.  

Things only got worse when halfway into their shift, Jo came back and took Becky to help set up decorations for the Christmas Eve party the next day. The Road House already had the dusty old fake tree in the corner by the entrance with the toys for tots box the employees and regulars had been slowly filling as no one else seemed to care. Rufus brought a Menorah in for the bar, but that had been long since taken down with the end of Hanukah and replaced by Ellen and Jo’s Yule log. Castiel had never attended their holiday party on Christmas Eve, and didn’t remember much decorations in the previous year aside from these. He hoped they weren’t doing it for him, because his mood was in no way set to show gratitude right now. And Dean’s reactions to the girl’s spreading holiday cheer around the restaurant was anything but a help. If he didn’t want Christmas, why would he pretend all month? He thought his friend was excited too, to have a nice, happy holiday after so many years of…

Well maybe that was it. Castiel wasn’t as close to Dean last year. Maybe the attitude came with the holiday, maybe the man was having problems dealing with memories of family and his past. Castiel could empathize. His painful memories weren’t holiday specific, but he had more trouble avoiding them at these times in the year.

Sam walked in and stomped some slush off his boots onto floor mat, giving Castiel a minute to intercept him on his way to the bar.

“Sam, you’re in my section tonight.”

“But-”

“We need to talk about your brother.”

“Finally.” Sam muttered, letting Castiel lead the way to an empty booth, one of many with the college crowd and travelers gone for the holiday.

“What did you say?”

“Good. I mean, good. Great. What’s up Cas?”

* * *

Living with Dean and Castiel had been no easy task. Working with them, fine. Hilarious even. They had become pretty much an endless source of bets and entertainment. But never getting away from it or the weird, tense ‘the living room is technically Cas’ bedroom and Dean is NOT comfortable’ was only funny for about a day. Sam was thinking about starting up a separate bet on how long it would take for Dean to explode into another freak out. Or maybe just jump the guy.

Sam’s money was on repressed emotions to the point of nervous breakdown – it’s just what Dean did.

Even so… it was awkward. And things didn’t seem to get any less so when he was in the room or when Jess came over. You’d think a little company would equal some personal space between the two but no. Apparently not. If anything, it seemed to make it worse with what used to be cute little stolen glances morphing into full on unashamed staring. Seriously. It wasn’t cute anymore, it was ridiculous. And Sam couldn’t wait to move out if only to breathe fresh, lust free air.

And then there was Christmas tree shopping. Jess thought it was a great game to weave in and out of the trees and give them ‘alone time’ thinking the Christmas love songs and snow covered trees might prompt something. It didn’t. And Sam was covered in mud from leaving the trails and when Dean shoved him after being called a Scrooge. That day was miserable, definitely not the romantic setting Jess had hoped for.

That night however was a different story.

Hot chocolate, Christmas TV specials running as background noise, and a tree that would not stay in its stand to save its life. Sam and Jess went out to find a better stand and when they got back, let’s just say Dean was doing more checking out Cas than helping Cas hold up the tree. And Castiel seemed to notice. As Jess put it later, “Even Abercrombie and Fitch models don’t pose so hard next to Christmas trees.” They helped with the new stand and stringing the lights before giving the pleasegodsoon couple some space. Aka, spying on them from Sam’s room. Nothing happened, surprise, surprise, but there definitely seemed to be some bonding, extra personal space invasion, and what ended up being a really nice Christmas tree. Followed by falling asleep next to each other on the couch. Cas had an excuse, it was his bed. Sam would really like to know what Dean’s excuse was. But he settled for throwing some tinsel on them and taking a quick picture. Maybe he could convince Ellen to make it the December background for the bulletin board in the kitchen.

Even with all that and another week of living with the pair under his belt, nothing compared to the awkward that was his current conversation with Cas. He had barely even gotten in the door when he was commandeered by the waiter and shoved into a corner booth.

He let Cas grill him on their past Christmases and if Dean really wanted the holiday or if he was just doing it so Cas would have a first Christmas. Sam was honest. He didn’t know. Dean had always been one to have the most fun while trying to make others have fun, and he knew Cas was his little project right now, but he didn’t think Dean hated it. And he knew he would have gone to the Christmas party and participated in the group fun with or without Cas. That being said, an awkward silence ensued that had Sam fidgeting and ready to bolt. He liked Cas, he really did, but he had no idea how Dean out up with him long time when he got into weird moods like this.  It was strange to say the least, like the guy had been raised with no socialization.

“Remember the last time you and Dean were,” Cas gestured in front of him like having a conversation without Dean as a buffer was actually painful. “having that prank war? And you said something about trying to get your brother and myself together?”

“Uh… yes?” He saw Jess arriving and quickly shook his head no at her and looked to Dean, hoping she got the hint to go distract him at the bar. She did. Because she’s so smart. And beautiful. And they have a connection that is… nothing do with Cas looking at him like he simultaneously has all the answers in the universe and wants to run away. “Why?”

 “Why were you really doing that?”

This was either serious progress or Sam was going to dig himself into a very deep hole with his brother’s best friend. And that could be bad on so many levels, namely if Cas and Sam didn’t get along, Dean would never let anything happen between them. “Well. I mean. Cas, you’re a great guy and Dean. I mean, he needs someone like that and for whatever reason he likes you.” Cas furrowed his eyebrows and crap, back track. “No offence! I meant, you’re just different. You both are really different _from each other_. Look, it’s just obvious he has a thing for you and we thought you had a thing for him so we were kind of-”

“Who is ‘we’?”

“Well…” Moment of truth. He had to be honest right? “the whole RoadHouse. Kind of. And Bobby. Maybe Rufus and Garth too.”

“The whole RoadHouse?”

“Yeah, I mean we just thought you guys needed a little push.”

“And you approve of me and Dean being together. Right? Or you wouldn’t be doing this.”

“Yeah man. I mean, it’s weird. You guys are really different, but it works, you know? At least we thought it would. But nothing’s happened yet so…”

“I understand.” Cas said, but the man didn’t look like he understood at all. He looked like Sam had just stolen his favorite thing and threw it in the fireplace.

“Cas I don’t think you get it man.’

“I have tables to attend to.”

Sam looked around the nearly empty restaurant, “Really?” At least it got Cas to sigh and stay for a minute. “I still think it could work, one of you just needs to man up and make a move. And you know by now that Dean is emotionally constipated so maybe you should take the first step.”

“Well, your brother is very emotional so that’s not quite true.” His point seemed to be amplified by Dean throwing a plastic Santa and his chubby reindeer friend off the bar, yelling at Jo to shove him back up the chimney before he shoved it somewhere else. Those weren’t exactly the emotions he was talking about. “And I don’t see why I have to be the first to say anything. If my feelings are that obvious for the whole town then Dean should see them and be able to do something if he wants to.”

“Cas, that’s not what I - He’s a little messed up. And he probably doesn’t want to ruin your friendship.”

“Well, Maybe I’m messed up. You all think you know everything, you should at least know that.” Cas flew back to the kitchen, kicking the abused Santa and reindeer as he passed. Maybe they were more alike than Sam gave them credit for.

“Sam! What the hell did you do?” Dean bellowed over, still working the only busy portion of the RoadHouse tonight. He was lucky the regulars were used to loud outbursts from Ellen and the crew or Jo would have given him something to yell about by now. Sam went to lift his hands in a shrug but didn’t even get the chance before Dean was yelling again, still slinging drinks down the bar. “Just go fix it! I don’t have time for this crap today.”

Sam did what he was told. He went to the kitchen, picking up poor plastic Santa and Rudolph on the way, but when he got there Cas was gone. “Ellen, you see where-”

“Nope! You listen to me, Sam Winchester. You need to give him some space. And if you didn’t learn back in September, you need to keep out of this whole thing. I swear Sam, if you messed up my plans for tomorrow, you’re on dishwasher for the foreseeable future. Now, get to work. We need your Sasquatch reach.” Ellen pointed at a couple boxes dusty enough to have not seen the light of day since around 1984 and a full crate of mistletoe sprigs. “Don’t touch the mistletoe until after Dean leaves. Hope you don’t mind staying late.” She was so going to win. With all the tension built up between the two, they’d be lucky if it was just a kiss in front of everyone. The way things were going tonight, it would probably set off a few nuclear war heads. Or at least the apocalypse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Guess what that mistletoe’s for ;) ;) ;) We think you know!


	16. Ellen's Christmas Eve Wish

**Ellen’s Christmas Eve Wish**

Ellen looked around the Roadhouse at the decorations she hadn’t seen since Jo was young enough to play with most of them like they were life size Barbies. Still, the most important was the Yule log, the log Ellen thought was a silly old tradition until her mother in-law clued her into the routes of its importance. She was a fierce woman and the tradition stuck through their otherwise non-church going Christian Christmases. Hell if Ellen didn’t still smile and make a yearly wish on it just to spite her though. In laws – you were supposed to hate them. Especially when they continued to have the tradition for her and all they got was bitched at because they didn’t do the whole, burn a log in the fireplace for 12 days bit, but used the log as a candle holder instead. Bill was a firefighter, one that died in a fire, excuse her for being a little antsy around large, unattended flames and for bringing the tradition to the 21st century. “Consider it a sign of respect you old coot, may you rest in peace. This year I wish for that $400 pot. And of course for everyone to be happy and safe, yatta yatta.”

Joanna smiled at her before closing her eyes and making her own silent wish on the log, something that would have old Mrs. Harvelle rolling in her grave for sure. Ellen hummed out a chuckle and went to go check everything was ready for the party. “Jo honey, could you make sure everything is more squarely under the mistletoe. If these boys want to eat, drink, or sit I want to make sure they pay the toll.” She winked at her daughter. Jo rolled her eyes but made quick work of moving the spiked punch and a bottle of Dean’s favorite whiskey right under the bunch hanging above the bar.

Becky arrived and let out that high pitched squeal Ellen knew had the dogs howling all the way back at her house. “Oh this is PERFECT! I should have picked Christmas. I’m going to get my camera!” The waitress ran back to her car as fast as she’d come in, at least someone would be as eager to get them to kiss as Ellen was, maybe she could even get Becky’s help baiting them.

She knew the mistletoe would do it too. One little kiss. It worked for her and Bill, it could work for these idiots.

Hell, all that pent up tension they had going between them, she didn’t know how they hadn’t just tackled each other to the floor already. But this would prove the love part. Nobody could resist falling a little in love with a mistletoe kiss. Breath all minty from candy canes, feeling a little fuzzy headed from punch or eggnog and all that happy holiday cheer around you. Even if Dean and Castiel weren’t already crazy over each other, this would do the trick. You could call her a saint for coming up with this perfect plot, but she was pretty sure saints didn’t roll around in their gambling winnings to rub it in everyone’s faces after. Not that she would, but a lady can dream.

“Rufus, help me pull the tree from the doorway to the back wall where we open presents, would ya?”

* * *

Did Dean mention that living with Cas drove him crazy? Well it did. To the point of dumping the whole stupid store bought cheese and cracker tray he was trying to make look better all over the floor when Cas came out of the shower to quickly make his way to his room, only a towel covering the ends of the tattooed wings he still hasn’t gotten a chance to see the very tips of. He’s cleaning up his mess, trying to figure out what to do when Cas is back in the steamy room brushing his teeth. A man brushing his teeth should not be sexy damn it. But where the hell had Cas even learned to do it like that? You don’t squirt the toothpaste in your mouth, you put it on the brush. He had to be doing this on purpose. And that just wasn’t fair.

Two could play that game. Dean moved to rebrush his teeth beside Cas, couldn’t be too fresh right? He finished up and took a swig of mouthwash right from the bottle, tilting his head back and gargling for as long as he could hold his breath, giving Cas a Dean Winchester signature wink before spitting into the sink. Cas just laughed.

Actually laughed.

Like it was funny, and not sexy. Not even a little. And then Dean was thinking about how they were brushing their friggin’ teeth and how it probably wasn’t at all and ... he had it worse than he thought. But at least Cas was laughing, because last night they weren’t even talking. Cas didn’t say goodbye when he left work early, just stormed away from Sam and walked the 20 minute  _drive_  back to their place and he hadn’t said a word this morning except for asking Dean to check on the last pie at 2.

Pie.

Oh shit.

The thought barely had time to register before Dean could smell the smoke in the kitchen. It was a mad dash to open windows and turn on fans before the smoke detector could go off, but ... The pie. Castiel had officially distracted him from what might be his favorite thing in this world. Yeah, Dean had it  _way_  worse than he thought.

“Cas-”

“It’s alright, the crust is a little dark but it will be fine. Some drippings fell onto the coil, that’s what burned. We’re going to need to clean the oven before Sam comes over to use it.” At least Cas wasn’t mad at him. No more than whatever he was mad about this morning anyway. He turned everything off and went to go put his sweat pants back on to clean up the mess so the dress pants he was wearing to the party wouldn’t get ruined.

Dean went back to reorganizing what hadn’t hit the floor in the pepperoni and cheese disaster onto a smaller plate before texting Sam to pick up another tray if he had time. He didn’t know of anywhere close that was open on Christmas Eve, but he didn’t really know what else to do. Just in case, he started looking through the cabinets. Three quarters of a jar of salsa wasn’t so bad if he did the layer dip recipe on the back of the jar and put it in a nice bowl right? Hello cheese from tray, meet sour cream and salsa. Ellen was going to kill him. At least he had an unopened bag of tortilla chips.

After splattering the microwave on that endeavor, he went to go change and came back to Cas in very snug sweat pants bent over and cleaning the oven Dean isn’t confident has ever been cleaned before. This isn’t the first time he’s walked in on that pretty picture either. Cas had a thing for cleaning in his oldest, tightest, can’t ruin them clothes and Dean always walked in to see his ass in the air in front of the fridge, the cabinets…the shower, basically anything that has him on his hands and knees, swearing under his breath – which oddly enough was the best part.

Yeah… maybe Dean had it  _way, way_ worse than he thought. And he’s thinking about it A LOT. He needed to get it out of his system, just a piece, just something.

“Don’t just stand there, do something.” Cas snapped at him. Dean could think of a lot of things to do but he opted for passing a clean dish cloth instead. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Cas was cranky again, in the way he got when cleaning up a mess, his or not. For some reason, Dean thought now would be the time to sit next to him while he cleaned and tell him stories from the bar last night and the mess he made of the tray and making the salsa dip. Cas sighed when he opened the microwave to see the fresh splatters and Dean thought he was in for it, or at least for cleaning it himself, before Cas started laughing.

“Ellen… is not going to be happy.”

Before he knew it, Dean was laughing too, “She definitely will not.”

And things seemed fine. No more mad, tense Cas, just them working together to clean up and get things ready for the party while they waited for Sam. Fine to the point that Cas was giving him one of his own sweaters because Dean forgot about Jo’s idea for the ugly sweater portion of this year’s party and Dean Winchester did not own sweaters. Cas apparently did though, even if they were the fancy ones only models pulled off putting over dress shirts. He bet Cas could pull it off too though. Cas adjusted his collar under the sweater while Dean showed him the only ties he owned for an opinion and teased him about his own ugly sweater choice. A faded blue thing that actually looked very nice with a stitched on reindeer that… didn’t.

“Man Cas, you are an angel. Ellen definitely would have shot me if I came empty handed  _and_ without a sweater. I’m going to start calling you Clarence.”

“Technically Jo’s rule was that it was supposed to be an ugly sweater. And I don’t like that. Wasn’t she the woman Hannibal Lector was stalking in that movie we watched last week?”

Dean couldn’t stop the fresh chuckles, you could lead a man to the television but that didn’t mean Cas was even going to understand a reference. “No that was Clarisse.” Right, Cas had probably never had the chance to be forced into watching sappy Christmas movies with his family outside the one’s Dean had shown him. And that didn’t really count, as much as he fought Sam that Die Hard  _was_ a Christmas movie. Dean would change that, they still had tonight and tomorrow before Cas’ first Christmas was over.

Ellen was planning on it too if her over decorating was anything to go by.

* * *

When Jess dropped off Sam before heading to the airport to find her 3 hour layover late brother, he was expecting the traditional mess in the kitchen as Dean tried to make the things Ellen asked him to bring to the party. That’s why he was here. To help, and to borrow the oven to finish off his frozen appetizers because their toaster oven back at the off campus apartments wasn’t cutting it.

He was not expecting to see Dean in a goddamned v-necked sweater. Was that cashmere? Or Cas giving him a tie. Or all of their food wrapped and ready to go in the very clean kitchen. “Huh.”

“Shut up Sam.” Dean tugged on the v of his sweater to wrap a tie around the collar of the dress shirt under it.

“Typically, Dean, you would put the tie on before the sweater.”

“Sorry Cas, I can’t hear you over the blinking reindeer on your chest.”

Castiel turned around and sure enough, his blue sweater was adorned with a fuzzy Rudolph, glowing red nose and Christmas lights tangled in his antlers included. Well, Cas was doing the ugly sweater portion of the Harvelle’s Christmas Eve party right, but “Dean-”

“All sweaters are ugly Sam. Nice gingerbread man by the way. What did you just stick that on there?”

“Jess found it. I kinda like it.” Sam said, flicking the puffy gingerbread head, he hated it but it was the only thing she could find in his size, so she said, and it was kind of funny.

“Of course you do.”

“I think it’s very nice, Sam.” Cas said, hiding a smile. He guessed he was forgiven. Either that or no one could look at the hideousness on his chest without breaking down.

“Of course you do.” Dean repeated a little darkly.

“And yours is very nice too Dean.” Dean rolled his eyes at his friend but smoothed out the sweater with a scowl once he turned away. That was weird. It was nowhere near the awkward blushing Sam was getting used to. Did something happen last night? If something did, neither one of them was acknowledging it as they tiptoed around each other and Sam to get ready and pack the Impala.

When they finally arrived at the bar, Sam made sure to lag behind Dean as to not miss his brother’s reaction of the mistletoe minefield Ellen had him set up last night. No one was getting out of this one unscathed. Dean seemed to think the same thing as he froze in horror. Yeah. Ellen was going to win. But when did she ever lose a bet? It really shouldn’t be a surprise.

“What the f-”

“Language Dean! It’s Christmas!” Ellen barked, mad grin on her face as she watched Dean gape at the ceiling and put 10 feet between himself and anyone else.

“What the hell is this crap? We’re all family, save it for college night!”

“Come’ere and shut up sug.” Ellen said, wrapping an arm around his neck and planting one on Dean’s cheek. She wiggled a jar his way, “You can always forfeit for twenty bucks. We won’t make fun of ya too much.”

Sam very much doubted that, but he sincerely wished it was true as Becky ran up to him to ‘help carry presents’ and _whoops_ , caught him under the mistletoe. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

This was such an awesome night! Becky had always wanted to go to one of these ugly sweater things and she had accidently gotten Sam under the mistletoe THREE TIMES before Jess and Garth got there and she felt a little guilty trying for more. She didn’t really know if that was because of Jess or Garth, he was really starting to grow on her. Still. Three kisses. With Sam Winchester and his beautiful face and soft lips and firm as firm can be pecks. Best. Christmas Party. Ever!

But she had to focus, the real goal of the night was getting Dean and Castiel together. Becky wouldn’t hold a grudge to Ellen for winning, it was an awesome plan, one she totally should have come up with but who would have thought they still wouldn’t be together by Christmas?

So far it had been a night of Castiel being unfazed as the girls and Garth kissed his cheeks and Sam forfeiting $20. That was something, right? That he hadn’t forfeited on her but he did on Castiel? Whatever, focus! All this was happening while Dean avoided his obviously socially uncomfortable friend at every turn. Ellen had her work cut out for her, but she definitely wasn’t giving up if the conversations loud enough for Dean and Cas to hear on the opposite sides of the room from each other were any indication. And they totally were, because whenever one was happening, the other was totally eavesdropping.

Ellen had started a more motherly approach after her booby traps continued catching everyone except her targets. She kept cornering them and asking about their love lives and pulling the old mama guilt trip, one Becky knew too well.

“Oh, Dean. Isn’t it nice to have so much family for the holidays? I really hope you settle down soon hun. It’s not good to be all alone and I want some beautiful grandbabies to chase around and keep me young.”

And then she’d go to Cas and loudly play match maker. “Castiel. Are you having fun? Why didn’t you bring anyone sug, aren’t you seeing someone yet? No? That’s a shame, handsome boy like you. Are you interested in anyone? I know some nice, cute girls for you. Boys too. In fact, I think Jo might have an eye for-”

“Mom!”

Becky couldn’t help giggling at the affronted look Dean was darting around the room as if Jo liking Cas was something he had thought about but wasn’t sure of until now. Silly blind boys. Maybe Becky could do a little shoving of the Cas/Jo variety to play on his jealous side.

Nothing seemed to be working though. Anytime Becky would ask Dean for something and Ellen would wink and send Cas after the same thing, they somehow weaved around each other and never quite made it under the same bunch of mistletoe. That and Dean sneakily ripping down sprigs whenever he thought he wouldn’t get caught wasn’t helping.

This was so much harder than it should be, real life was not like fanfiction at all and it was a very harsh discovery. At least until Garth bumped into her over eggnog.

That kiss was…something else. Gentle and warm and intimate in a way she hadn’t trapped Sam into being close to yet. Maybe she needed to think less fire, heat and magnetism of fanfiction and more subtle surprises of romcoms. It was worth a shot.

But no, wait! “Dean don’t you dare!” Becky yelled, ready to burst with excitement as Dean approached Cas and then took a step back, too late. Ha! They didn’t need a push at all, just a mistake. Ellen had them now!

* * *

Dean wasn’t having a good night. The mistletoe was a surprise and too much of a temptation to resist for long. It was driving him crazy. Cas was driving him crazy. Everybody that got to kiss Cas was  _driving him crazy._ Had Cas even ever kissed anyone yet? Was a stupid peck from Garth of all people under cheesy plastic glitter covered mistletoe really going to be the guy’s first kiss? When it could have been Dean’s…

He wasn’t even going to go there. He didn’t know for sure that it was Cas’ first kiss, just speculating. But it was still ridiculous that he was getting so jealous. And nervous. The guy was everywhere. Avoiding him was impossible. He had barely gotten to snag a piece of his pie, let alone the cookies or a friggin’ drink. One he desperately needed right now.

He tried to mingle. Tried to make fun of people’s sweaters, and it wasn’t hard. Garth was wearing this hideous thing with fringe the guy wasn’t even embarrassed about. Dean could barely get out a “Nice fringe, Garth” before he was gushing.

“I know, it’s cool right. I didn’t even have to buy it for the party. I just had it lying around. I love this thing.” He knew he liked Garth, but he was having a hard time remembering why at that moment.

Jess had on a vest made to look like giant knitted gingerbread house with fake candy beads and too many sparkles. When Sam caught her under some mistletoe, Dean couldn’t help but make a joke about putting Sam’s gingerbread man in the house. At least Jess got a kick out of it, she probably coordinated looks just so someone would make that joke. Dean wasn’t above making the obvious remarks if they got a laugh.

Jo’s sweater was a homemade masterpiece. She had one of those creepy elf on the shelf dolls on  _her_ shelf. Classic. Becky had a felt Santa with Merry Christmas spelled wrong – probably a thrift store special. Bobby and Ellen were rocking his favorite looks though. They had their usual handmade family sweaters on from when Ellen had that horrible year of thinking she could make every ones Christmas presents after upgrading to cable and getting real pissy about Martha Stewart or some rant Dean couldn’t really remember over the hideous green D sweater she made him. He secretly kind of loved that thing until he outgrew it. At least she admitted now that they were ugly.

Ash was staying true to his everyday fashion choices wearing a Wal-Mart special with the arms ripped off. And Rufus, well he thought it was a menorah but it could have been a reindeer or a lot of other things too.

He was almost starting to cheer up and forget his dilemma, happy to stay boxed in a mistletoe free zone and laugh and bust balls but Ellen just had to corner him and talk about family. That and it was ridiculously obvious people were trying to trap him and Cas together. Since when did Jo need help mixing a drink? And Becky’s pervy grin wasn’t fooling anybody.

Sam was keeping him company by the Christmas tree and the stupid gift Cas bought with the overkill mistletoe on it. Did he know Ellen was going to do this? That would just be priceless, a little warning would have been nice.

“Dean.” Sam said next to him, nudging his shoulder and nearly unbalancing the plate of pie from his knee.

“What?!” He snapped back. He knew he was being an asshole. It was Christmas, Cas’ first Christmas, the one he had been working so hard to make perfect and the first one for him since their father died where he wasn’t black out drunk under a table or in the back of some stranger’s car. He was pretty sure he’d already scared away Garth for the night, and Bobby and Rufus had made it clear they weren’t dealing with his shit. It was only a matter of time before Sam left him to get drunk in peace too. If only he could get to the bar without bumping into anyone.

“You know what Dean, I don’t know what’s wrong with you today but you have a pretty great life. Sure it could be better but we’ve come a hell of a long way and it could have been a lot worse too. Look at us. We’re celebrating Christmas. A  _real_  Christmas. With our family. So go drink eggnog and dance drunk and stop eating your pie like it’s the only friend you have.” Sam snapped back. He was right, but hell if Dean was going to admit it right now.

“I need a drink.” He found the conviction to stomp over to the bar, forgetting for a second he had to be hyper vigilant, not really expecting Cas to go for the punch and bam, Becky the mistletoe police yells out his location before he even has time to take a full step back. Shit. Perfect. He couldn’t blame anyone else here but himself for this one. And Cas looked so damn shocked when he turned around. And accepting. Did he want it? ‘Cause Dean wanted it, had wanted it for a while but was equally ready to run for the hills and blow the world up behind him. He tried to communicate some of that through the intense eye contact they had going on at the moment but thought maybe their friendship wasn’t at the point of TV-telepathic-best-friends yet.

“Why do I have the feeling all this mistletoe tonight was for this exact purpose?” Cas asked him, at least he was in the dark about the mistletoe too, but he still had that look in his eye like maybe he knew something Dean didn’t.

“Gee, I don’t know – maybe it’s Becky’s  _camera._ ” At least Becky had the decency to put it down and shuffle back towards Jo. And, oh yeah. Dean was an asshole tonight he could pretty much keep on that trail and not surprise anybody. “So Cas, you’ve been giving little cutesy pecks all night. You got a real one in there or should I just drop a twenty in the jar now and avoid the awkward?” He didn’t realize how close they were standing until Cas stepped back with that ‘I will smite you where you stand expression’ he had been sportin’ last night and grabbed a twenty from his back pocket to give to Jo who stepped into the line of fire. Cas rolled his eyes, diving down and attacking Jo’s mouth. If you could call that an attack anyway, because weren’t attacks violent with winners and losers and an actual struggle. This was more like a surge Cas was leading with power that had Jo dropping the money jar and fisting her hands in Cas’ hair for a second before pushing him away. And if Dean was jealous before, holy crap.

“Castiel you try to pull something like that again and I swear to God!”

“I’m, Joanna I’m sor-”

“No. I don’t want to hear it. Mistletoe does not give you an excuse for a kiss like that. You’ve been drinking, you’re angry, I get it. It’s not you.  _Don’t_  let it happen again or I will kick your ass to the next town and back!” Jo glares him down as he shuffles away guilty, giving one last sideways glance at Dean. “Wow.” Jo whispered as she leaned in to peck Dean’s check in mistletoe payment. “You missed out on that one.” She punched his shoulder and headed off. “Alright, Secret Santa time. I need a present!” Crisis averted, at least until Dean took too long to grab the whiskey and a glass and head back to the tree for presents to find the only seat left was next to a steaming Cas finishing up a hushed conversation with Ellen before she left to sit where Rufus and Bobby were saving her seat. Crisis traded for awkward situation he put himself into then, he could handle that. Nothing a little Jack wouldn’t fix.

But no, because the second Dean sits down, Cas takes the bottle from him and pulls a long swig, placing it down on his other side and keeping a hand around its neck. Great, more sober time. This Christmas was the fucking best.

“Oh-kay then.” Sam said, probably being hit with the blast of tension from Castiel next to him. “I guess I’ll start. Here you go Becky.” Sam passed her a chubby package with a candy cane taped to the top that she took the time to unwrap and bite down on before tearing into the wrapping paper. “It’s a new journal. Cas said you kept one and I thought, you know… for when your other one fills up.” Sam shrugged and Becky blushed redder than the Santa hat she was sporting. Probably because her other journal was covered in Mrs. Sam Winchester. Dean chuckled and nudged Cas before he remembered the man was mad at him. Cas just took another swig and continued to watch the merriment. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go.

“Thanks Sam, I love it.” Becky tells him, taking another long lick of her candy cane. The girl had some serious issues. She turned to wink at Garth and pulled a gift bag out of the pile to pass to him. They watched Garth pull out a few books he actually looked excited about, a Super Dentist mug and a key chain Dean knew was a vicious looking dental tool he didn’t want to know the name of.

And so it continued, happy people and presents and Dean getting increasingly agitated waiting to find out who Cas’ specially wrapped and decorated with mistletoe boxes were for.

Garth gave Ash some flash drive looking thing Jess scolded him for and Ash about had a heart attack over. Becky seemed very impressed about that one, and soon they were walking together back to the bar for more drinks. Ash gave Jess a card saying he would fix up her laptop and a nice necklace Dean was pretty impressed with and Sam looked like an ignored puppy over while she gushed at Ash’s good taste.

Dean chuckled at his childhood friend’s skills. A lot of people forgot this was the man with a Dr. Badass sign on his bedroom door, a door that hordes of ladies still somehow followed his mullet through.  Jess got Bobby a new trucker cap and some books Dean would probably find himself borrowing after Bobby put translated notes in the margins. Bobby got Jo a new shotgun – god help them all. Cas at least pulled out of his angry drinking long enough to look nervous at that one. Smart.

“Don’t shoot your eye out kid.”

“Very funny  _Robert_.” Jo winked, testing the weight of it before rolling her eyes at the hairpins he got her too. “Thanks Bobby.”

Jo continued the circle and gave Rufus 8 Johnny Walker nips in different flavors and a box of candy from the shop he likes but complains is too far away from his cabin.

Rufus passes Ellen 8 different picture frames, probably for more pictures of the crew to go in back of the bar and in the halls near the bathrooms, and a gift certificate for his services which he expressly orders her to be used for their sorry excuse of a walk-in. They all chuckle a little at that, Dean and Cas having more of a right than most. Still, the tension was there and Dean was starting to get the feeling that Cas hadn’t put the mistletoe on his gift for Ellen or Sam. Now he felt like an extra big ass. Mistletoe… well, crap.

Cas’ statuesque posture started to sway and slump a little and Dean decided he’d had enough of their friend Jack. It took a second to wrestle the bottle away, but when he had it he made a show of chugging the rest. Problem solved – Cas couldn’t be an angry drunk and Dean didn’t have to be sober on this miserable excuse of a Christmas anymore. Even if it was a small buzz, it helped soften the blow of Ellen’s gift.

Sam beamed when he unwrapped the Stanford sweatshirt Ellen gave him. “You can order those online now you know, and there’s a gift card in there too for that fancy coffee place you like.”

“I – I mean thanks Ellen, but I don’t even know if I got in yet.”

“You’ll get in.”

Dean didn’t want to look at the giant smile on Sam’s face. He didn’t know Sam wanted to move to California. Well, he knew Stanford was the goal for grad school, but he didn’t know he wanted to go now or that it was serious enough to talk to Ellen about or get a shirt over. What’s Christmas without surprises, right? Dean got up to get more to drink, bringing back a glass to pass to Cas and trading it for the neatly wrapped present he’d been eyeing. Dean put down the glasses and the bottle and pulled over his own present to pass to Cas. Ellen helped him out and rewrapped it yesterday saving him the embarrassment of handing over a ball of newspaper and tape. Good choice on his part.

He didn’t even know where to start unwrapping his own present and took a peek to see Cas looking down at his like he didn’t know what to do with it either. Dean opted for plucking off the mistletoe and holding it up with a smirk until Cas noticed.

“I didn’t – Charlie insisted, I said no but then it was glued on and…”

“Charlie?” Yeah, that definitely came out a little bitter.

“From the book store, the wrapping table…”

“Oh right, the little redhead. She did a good job.”

“You too.”

“Ellen fixed it.”

“Are you two gunna gab about wrapping paper all night or actually see what you got?” Bobby huffed from across the circle. Dean shoots him a glare, but it bounces right off Bobby and back at him.

Curiosity got the best of him and he didn’t give Cas the chance to go first, just broke off the top package, dug in and found… a book. Nobody gave him books. Even Sam still looked surprised every time he caught Dean reading. He looked up and saw Cas with a smile, that squished to the corner of his mouth one he knew would look a lot more nervous without the buzz. “Thanks man.” He said softly, watching Cas’ small smile turn into a full on grin. He opened the other packages to find the Lord of the Rings trilogy and thought this was the best Christmas present anybody had given him in a long time. It was an adventure, one he meant to take part in for a while because of its connections to the music he loved and he knew Cas had bought it Black Friday just a few hours after picking his name if Charlie had wrapped it. Not even having to think and knowing exactly what to get, he really was Dean’s best friend and hell if he wasn’t a little in love with the guy.

“Dean, you know those books don’t have pictures right buddy!” Ash chuckled

“Dean is very intelligent, you shouldn’t-” Cas started to say, standing up and wobbling as all the holiday cheer he had been guzzling earlier hit him

“Cas man, you’re drunk. He’s just joking. These are great.”

“I just thought, I mean Ramble On-”

“Yeah I know. I love it.” He got lost in those eyes again, eyes that didn’t look so mad anymore until Sam cleared his throat. “Well, you going to sit down and open yours or what?” He said, clearing his throat himself. He remembered buying Cas’ present the same night and stressing over it. He stood in line for Sam’s stupid coffee gift card for an eternity just staring at the display with the special leather bound collections, including Dante’s Divine Comedy. He couldn’t help but think how much it seemed like Cas.

It was religious but you didn’t have to be to read it, he’d probably get more out of it than Dean did though. And it was wordy and smart. Dean liked it enough when he had to read _Inferno_ in high school, even if it gave him nightmares he’d never admit to. And it could be a thing, you know. They both went through hell and made it out. Maybe he was being too deep. It was on sale. He could still put something else with it later to downplay it if he changed his mind or not give it to him at all. Dean thought he should just do it. And he did, only to turn around and see Cas looking at him. He thanked his lucky stars the store’s bags were a thick red and green for the holiday and Cas wouldn’t be able to see what was inside because though it was on sale, it was still expensive and since it was marked down – he couldn’t return it.

He wrapped it and unwrapped it a million times thinking it over but just decided to go with it in the end, it felt right. Cas pulled the paper off it carefully and smiled as he ran a finger over the gold lettering. “Guess we kind of had the same idea huh?” Dean asked when he didn’t say anything.

“Yeah. Did you…on Black Friday?”

“Yup. I didn’t know you were there until I got out of line.”

Cas laughed and it took some of the weight off his shoulders. “I love it. Thank you, Dean.”

“Welcome. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

* * *

The night went on and Dean did what Sam told him to before he wrecked the evening for himself. He drank, he danced drunk, he laughed and played stupid games. Everyone seemed to forget about the mistletoe until it was time to leave and he was just drunk enough to still be happy and give Sam a noisy wet kiss on the cheek as they passed the sprig in the doorway. Sam drove them home, Jess close behind, and Dean found himself having a bit of déjà vu when he ended up in the back seat with a tipsy Cas. Both managed to stay awake this time though as they talked about their books, Cas gabbing away about how Tolkien related a lot of things back to Macbeth because he was mad at the way it ended and wanted to rewrite it, and how much he thought Dean would like it. Dean let him talk, he had read Macbeth and he parts of it too, he bet Cas was right but it was easier listening to him ramble on about the stories than trying to have the conversation and maybe ruining the moment.

The moment was ruined though when Garth, Jess and Sam wore out their welcome and headed off. They walked them to the door and had very loud late night Merry Christmas Eve goodbyes and plans to meet for Christmas dinner the next day the neighbors needed to shut up and deal with and then they were left alone, standing next to the closed door with Cas’ obnoxious sweater blinking in the silence. They had both sobered up a bit with the cold weather and hot chocolate Jess made everyone, but there was still that friendly hum under his skin that made everything a little bit easier. Those eyes drew him in and held him again and before he knew it he was leaning into Cas’ space. Cas swallowed and Dean snapped out of it, pulling back, and that happy look in his eyes that settled in after Secret Santa was gone and replaced with the angry heat from earlier.

“Why do you always do that?” Cas hissed, stepping away and leaving Dean staring dumbly after him.

“What Cas? What now!”

“You always get so close and then back away. It’s confusing and frustrating and damn it Dean, just make up your mind.”

“You’re the one who put the twenty in the jar!”

“After you embarrassed me in front of _everyone_.” Guilt hit him but he didn’t know what to do. Because the truth was he was terrified of even the little pecks he made fun of Cas for giving under the mistletoe. He was terrified that this _thing_ whatever it was between them was too big for him to handle, that their friendship wouldn’t survive it, that it would break like everything else. But it seemed to be breaking under the weight anyway. Maybe he could just take this one thing, just this little piece for himself before the rest shattered at his feet.

 “Fine.” He barked, more nerves than anger as he grabbed the collar of Cas’ sweater and hauled him forward. He wanted to crash their lips together like he saw Cas do earlier, get a taste of that side of him, but he couldn’t. He took a breath and leaned in, he meant it to be a quick brush of lips but the way Cas’ bottom lip caught between his and a shiver chased up his spine. It was just so perfect and exactly what he wanted, he couldn’t pull away. At least until Cas pushed him back and stomped out of the room, slamming his bedroom door behind him. It stung, more than just the tears that _were not_ in his eyes right now, it was this hollow thing he had to yell out. “Happy now?!”

He could still feel the warmth of lips on his and tried to brush it off with the back of his hand and stomp off to his own room but the creak of the Cas’ door had him turning around and heading back to the kitchen, desperate to stop him from leaving if that was the plan.

He didn’t know how it happened exactly, but the second they saw each other it was over, Cas’ body crashed into his, pinning him against the nearest wall and yeah, Jo had it right, _wow._

It took Dean’s brain a second to catch up with what was happening as Cas’ lips played with his pressing in and sucking and pulling back to tease again and again until Dean opened up for him and then there was no turning back. Cas hand slid behind his head, nails scraping his scalp in the best way where his hair was too short to tug. Dean moved a hand up to Cas’ neck to steady him and pull him in deeper. Their tongues slid together, soothing after the rough battle of their lips but still with heat that had Dean panting. He licked under Cas’ upper lip, pulling it into his mouth with a tug of teeth and he couldn’t tell who moaned but it tasted like heaven.

Soon hands were mapping out bodies through clothes and it wasn’t enough. He needed more. Stupid sweaters were lost and Cas was backed up against the opposite wall in the struggle to undress and keep in contact at the same time.  Cas slid a leg between his and pulled him back into the kiss, he was so responsive to everything, so perfect and Dean regretted everything he’d done and said today up until this. Their hips ground together and Cas broke away with a gasp and a shiver. He took the opportunity to mouth at the perennial stubble and nip against his jaw bone.

God, Dean was going to love being taken apart by him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For health and story updates as well as fun teen wolf and supernatural posts and Fun Facts About My Fanfiction check us out at Thebadassisin.tumblr.com  
> Thanks for reading!  
> -WT


	17. Dr. Badass is All In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy New Year!!! That’s kind of the theme of tonight’s episode. Well it would have been if I posted this on time. Don’t be mad at BA. This was done 12/30 but I was responsible for typing up and posting. Sorry. Please see thebadassisin.tumblr.com for more details on what happened and why that took so long.  
> Either way – I hope everyone had a happy New Year’s Eve and has a great new year ahead of them.  
> Because this chapter was later than planned, BA is writing an epilogue to make up for it. Hope you enjoy and that we hear from you soon. Aside from that epilogue (which should be up by Friday) this marks the end of The Whole Damn Roadhouse knows. Thank you for sticking with us and for all your love. If y’all have any prompts or ideas for future spn works you’d like to see from BA – please visit us at thebadassisin.tumblr.com  
> We’re taking the rest of January off from Supernatural as we edit this story and finish up our Teen Wolf series, but we’ll be back in February and would love to write what you want to read.  
> -WT  
> PS. IMPORTANT!!! Ratings are hard. The highest level to rate on ffnet (where we also post) is M. Here we have M and E. We’re going to keep it M for now because though thar be m/m relations ahead, they’re not …that graphic? We guess? We really don’t know. SO – it’s up to you. After you’ve read this, if you think the story should be bumped to E, please let us know so we don’t offend anyone. Thanks again!

Dean woke up to blue eyes smiling down at him and thought for one Disney approved lovey dovey moment that this must be what the songs are about. It probably means something when you’re warm and happy inside instead of creeped out when you find somebody watching you sleep.

“Dean.”

Dean couldn’t help but smile back, “Mornin’ Cas.”

They lay there in the quiet, tangled up together from how they slept and just breathed in the new day. Sam was going to be impossible to deal with today, but this was nice and he was going to hold onto it as long as he could before the busy Christmas morning made him get up. “Does this mean we are more than roommates now?” Cas used that tone Dean could never quite figure out. The guy had passive aggressive down to a science.

“Is that what you want?” Dean could play that game too, because until that kiss he didn’t know what the hell Cas wanted and now the happy morning glow was turning into fear that what happened was out of anger, alcohol and confusion and nothing more.

“Only if it’s what you want.”

They had a stare off for a moment, Cas looking as nervous as he felt at trying to figure this thing out. This whole tiptoeing around each other show they were doing had gone on too long. For once Dean might have to fall back on Bobby’s old ‘what did you do this time’ motto: Truth is the best, they’ll deal with the rest later. “I do want more. But I don’t want to pressure you if that’s not what you want.” God, he couldn’t even keep eye contact any more, where had Dean Winchester – false bravado and confidence extraordinaire run off to and who the hell was this ‘talk about what you’re really felling’ idiot?

A grin broke across Cas’ face and Dean knew that even if it wasn’t the most confident thing he had ever said – it was the right thing. “I want that too.” For once, Dean didn’t feel nervous talking to the guy anymore. He wanted to hold onto that and enjoy everything else they could feel together for a while.

“Good.” He said, giving Cas’ lips a quick peck. Cas hummed his reply into the kiss. Suddenly Dean had an idea of how they could save time getting ready this morning with just one shower, maybe even enough time to have a little fun before the shower. Last night… well last night had been great but the pants had stayed on. He wasn’t going to put it all on Cas, he was pretty nervous too. He hadn’t felt like sex was anything more than an awesome way to pass the time in years and he had already fucked up one of Cas’ firsts that night, he didn’t want to ruin another.

That aside, their make out session had lasted far longer than any make out session had the right and they had plenty of fun grinding against each other and groping every piece of skin they could get their hands on. Dean would just maybe like to at least get the pants undone this time. He moved the leg between Cas’ up a little further to find Cas very happy to see him this morning and took that as encouragement to move his lips down and chart some new territory. “Maybe we can figure out a few more things you want before Sam and everybody gets here.”

Cas got a little more breathless for each inch Dean ventured down, he was so responsive to everything. Dean couldn’t tell if he’d found some sweet spots or if his whole body was one. It was going to be fun figuring that out. Dean had just gotten down to nibbling a notch on Cas’ ribs that had the man’s hips squirming when he spoke, pulling Dean’s hair in a way that didn’t seem as encouraging as he wanted it to be. “Wait... Sam.” Well that wasn’t a mood killer or anything.

“Uh…”

“No not – Sam told me something about everyone that you may want to know before they get here.”

“Can it wait?”

“You might not want it to. And I would regret this if that was the case.” Dean sat up, not moving from the place he’s taken up between Cas’ legs or moving his hands from the man’s hips in his way of showing that, yeah, he still thought it could wait. “It wasn’t just Sam trying to get us together with the pranks.” Cas’ eyes were lidded where they looked down at Dean’s hands tracing a slow path from his hips down his thighs and back up.

“What are you talking about?”

“Everyone, they’ve all been doing things to try and push us together. Like last night I think all the mistletoe was for us. I just don’t know why they’re still trying since Sam’s pranks made us get in a fight and he’s lost confidence that we would admit our feelings.”

“Wait… why…how long have they been messing with us? Who’s involved?”

“Sam said everyone. The Roadhouse staff, Rufus, Bobby, Garth. They’ve all had a hand in it. But he said they were going to stop. Then last night it seemed like they didn’t. I just thought you should know.”

“Yeah…” Suddenly things were coming into place. Sam taking pictures of them in bed together, then laughing at their clothes still being on and taking more. The pranks targeted at Cas even though Dean was the one involved. The walk-in, Halloween, how far did this go? “Cas, you can’t cook. Where did you learn to make pie?”

“I… I’m not supposed to say. I promised.”

“Was it your idea, because you knew I liked pie?”

“I wasn’t going to go before they signed me up.”

“Bobby taught you didn’t he?” Cas was a statue, giving nothing away, but Dean knew. And Dean also knew that Bobby wouldn’t give those recipes away on pain of death unless- “Son of a bitch! They have a bet pool on us.”

“What?”

“Those asshats are placing bets on when we’d get together! I can’t believe this. Actually, I can believe this but how the fuck did we not figure that out? Where do they get off-”

“Dean.”

“thinking they can play with us like, like-”

“Dean”

“What?”

“Are we still… is this still happening? I understand if you feel manipulated because I do too. That’s why I wanted to tell you now so if you’re not comfortable-“

“Cas, man, I liked you way before this started. Maybe not more than thinking you were gorgeous but we’re friends now right? And I’m not letting those dicks ruin that. I still want this if you-”

Cas smiled and sat up to kiss him, not caring about the morning breath or Dean still babbling about meeting his feelings talk quota for the year and new prank plans for his brother.

“Wait, Cas. I really want to do this. You don’t know how much I was looking forward to what I had planned for us in that shower but we can’t.”

“I thought-”

“I want it. But if we go any further right now Sam and Bobby are going to know the second they get here and we need to keep this secret until we find their plans. I don’t want anybody winning a bet because we made out in our own apartment on Christmas. Okay?”

“I don’t know if I can be that convincing. How long do we need to do this?”

“Until work tomorrow? I’ll find where they’re keeping a record of the bets and we’ll work it out.”

“Fine.” Cas didn’t look too happy but Dean kissed his frown away and got up to start getting ready. “The shower?”

God, why did he have to give away that little secret? He was going to think about it all day now. “You have no idea.”

* * *

Ash heard them before he saw them. They were lucky he knew what Dean’s snooping sounded like and didn’t go for one of the frankly insane amount of shot guns Ellen kept around the place to fend off thieves, vagrants, and other particular forms of asshole.

He leaned quietly on the door frame, checking for BBQ sauce that always seemed to slip under his gloves and make his nails look dirty and waited for them to acknowledge his existence. Castiel was a really horrible look out. Dean found what he was looking for and started to point out dates, a hand pulling the waiter closer by the waist and giving a squeeze before letting go and pointing to something else. So they knew. They knew and they were together and hiding it. This was great.

He was late to the party on the whole putting them together thing, the underdog from the start, screw him if he wasn’t going to use this little bit of the equation against everyone else to take the pot. He worked hard, harder than most, he deserved the down time.

“Hola muchachos. Whatcha doin’ in Ellen’s private office?”

“Shit.” Dean jumped a mile high.

“We’re…we didn’t…it’s not what it looks like-”

“Don’t defend yourself to him, he’s one of the dicks betting on us.”

“Shh, Deano. You want everyone to hear?”

“What, are you afraid” Dean held up the calendar again, looking for a name, “Ellen will win? Nice Ash. Really great friend you are.”

“No you idiot. I have a proposition for you.”

Castiel didn’t look too happy about that, but when did he ever? “What’s that?”

“We talking a split of the pot?”

“Better.” Ash said, letting out the grin that always got him in trouble with Ellen, the one Dean seemed to recognize right away. “How do you feel about revisiting some of our childhood moneymaking schemes?”

Castiel was obviously lost but Dean was leaning back against Ellen’s desk, throwing the calendar to the side. “I’m listening.”

“Two words compadre: Pool. Table.”

“This pot is big enough to afford a pool table?”

“Focus Dean. No, but I have some savings and an idea to make the pot a little bit heavier. That and Frank’s downsizing to a doublewide – selling his mint eight footer for half what it’s worth. You wait until  _after_ midnight on New Year’s and I will get us a pool table for all our hustling needs.” Ash waited for the dollar signs to flash in Dean’s eyes. They made a killing hustling pool when they were kids and Dean’s the best. He had to at least be a little tempted. Ash – he just wanted some luxuries in his life. “I might just needyour help in a few other areas.”

“Like?”

“Well, right now the pot’s at 4’undred bucks. It’s a 100 to reenter. I’m thinking you guys could be extra that” Ash gestured to where Dean was tugging Castiel to lean back against the desk with him by the back pocket of his pants, “and I could convince some people to make one last bet before the New Year’s party.” There was a pause for one of those ridiculously long stares Ash still didn’t see as being anywhere near flirting or the ‘ _ust_ ’ Becks was always going on about.

“Pool table, huh?”

“I’m thinking in the back where the floor is elevated for the private parties that we never have. Maybe move the Juke Box over there too. Ellen could charge for cue rental so she wouldn’t be too pissy about losing the tables.”

“Cas?”

“I can’t say I’m going to be a successful actor when it comes to coaxing more bets, or that I condone tricking my co-workers, but I’m not going to say don’t do it.”

“Is that your passive aggressive way of saying serve them their just desserts?” Dean asked with a wink. This was the most awkward flirting Ash had ever witnessed, what the hell happened to his wing man?

“I have tables to serve and ways the pool table could benefit  _me_  to think about.” Castiel said with a meaningful look and small smile Ash wasn’t going to read into further. He better not be hinting dirty things about a pool table Ash hadn’t even gotten a chance to use yet.

“Ash! Where are you?” Jo yelled from the kitchen.

“Goddamn. Go down to the walk in and grab somethin’ I’ll stall her.” Ash said, poking his head out of the office and heading down the hallway towards Jo, Dean sneaking out and down the stairs to the basement while she looked the other way. “Right here little lady. What’s happenin’?”

“What were you doing in the office?”

“Nothing.” She gave him one of those soul scorching glares she inherited from her mother and would one day probably be the key ingredient to the next great truth serum. “I was just checking the calendar.”

“For what?”

“See if it was worth the hundred extra bucks to move my date up.”

“Why, it’s barely a week away.”

“Yeah, but Dean and Cas are in rare form today. You see them? I think your mom broke ‘em. I can see what y’all are seeing now and I ain’t sure they won’t have jumped each other by the end of the day.”

“What? Dean isn’t even here yet.”

“Yeah he is. He’s in the walk-in. Cas was down there too, but Dean stayed.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s recovering from something.”

Jo gave him another squinting of eyes into his core looking for the space dust that made up his atoms or something, testing for the truth, and he’s glad he spent so much time fabricating alibis to Ellen as a kid for practice. “Cas was pretty red just now. You gunna move your date?”

“I’m still thinkin’. Why? You gunna use my intell and get back in the game ya cheat?”

Jo ran to the office, Ash making chase behind her to sell it, and wrote down her name for that day. “Ha. Sucker!”

Five hundred. This was going to be easier than he thought.

* * *

By the time they got home after their third day of keeping things under wraps at The Roadhouse, Dean was ready to bust. This was becoming impossible. They apparently didn’t need to flirt much, Ash did most of the work with planting the idea that they looked closer than usual and all they had to do was be themselves.

Without pinning Cas up against the bar, or the wall, or any surface really.

It was a hell of a lot harder than it sounds. Especially with the lingering touches and stares Cas had taken up to sell their side of things. For someone afraid to take advantage of their friends, he was certainly quite the actor. This was probably payback for something in another life. Or you know, probably something he’d done recently too, he was no angel.

And he was starting to think Cas wasn’t either after he scraped his nails across the length Dean’s palm while taking a beer earlier today. There should be a cap to how sexy something so simple can be. Dean had been with yoga instructors, strippers, some kinky sons‘a bitches and that… that was awesome. A shiver chased right up his arm and down his spine, he broke out in a sweat and needed a beer of his own, completely ignoring Jo’s judgmental stares because he was still on the clock.

But now they were home. The last couple days things had been pretty innocent, but he couldn’t take it anymore. If Cas wasn’t ready, fine, he’d wait, but he had to check because this was torture. Turning around to figure out how to ask somehow ended up with Dean pinned to the front door. “You’ve been driving me insane all day.” Cas said in that rough voice that had once demanded respect and will always have Dean’s spine melting when he hears it. At least they were on the same page.

“I wasn’t even trying.”

“I know it’s just different now.” He said, dragging Dean to the bedroom. Things were definitely looking up.

“What do you mean?”

“Now I know you’re flirting.”

Dean had to laugh as Cas ripped his shirt over his head and started unbuttoning his own. “I was pretty much always flirting.”

“But now I know you’re serious.” Dean watched as Cas suddenly got a little shy, turning around to finish undressing, the tips of the tattooed wings finally being shown to him, just barely touching the backs of his thighs as a few downy, half burned feathers floated down further. He couldn’t help stepping forward to touch, just as he did that first time in the walk-in, letting his fingers trace before he could ask if it was okay. He kissed the crest one wing before burying his face in Cas’ neck.

“How far do you want to go?”

“I want everything.” Cas turned in his arms and they were kissing again, Dean holding onto Cas’ hair for balance as nimble hands undid his belt and fly, pushing his jeans off and walking Dean backwards into the bed.

He made quick work of kicking off his shoes and pants as Cas climbed over him. Dean knew he had to keep a clear head, had to take it slow, step by step but he didn’t think he had ever been this painfully hard in his life. Cas eased his hips down like he was afraid of hurting him and Dean couldn’t help but surge up to meet him. The gasp was absolutely worth it. This wasn’t what he pictured, being with Cas the first time. He thought, with his experience, that he would be more in control, that he would be on top taking Cas apart slowly and then putting him back together only to fall apart inside him but if Cas needed it like this he wasn’t going to argue.

It was also very clear that neither one of them was going to last long enough to drag this out for the other. Dean was practically begging for more by the time Cas stopped grinding forward long enough to lean back and dig through a bedside drawer.

He stumbled a bit, blushing in his nervousness to open the bottle, plastic seal still on it, making Cas let loose this frustrated little noise, face getting redder. “Let me.” Dean said, holding Cas’ hand for a minute and giving him a kiss before taking the bottle away. Cas tried to hide his embarrassment in another kiss that Dean found equally sexy and endearing as Dean started to open himself up. Soon Cas was dragging his lips away from where the kiss was growing lazy to watch. Dean may have let himself get a little more vocal than usual just having so much of Castiel’s attention for something so intimate. It had never felt like this before, this was more than sex and just in thinking that he knew his face was redder than Cas’.

Cas moved his mouth and hands down Dean’s body, mimicking what Dean had tried to do Christmas morning until his hand dropped lower, moving against Dean’s where he had just added a third finger and was getting desperate for more. For a second he thought Cas was going to take over before he moved back up and starting stroking him with the lube straight from Dean’s hand.

Fuck if that wasn’t the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Screw it. “Now, come on Cas. ‘m ready. Come on.” Cas moved over him again, sharing another sloppy kiss as Dean hitched his legs up and watched Cas hold himself over him on shaking arms as he pressed in.

And it was perfect. Dean looked into Cas’ eyes, alight with wonder and focused on him. He finally got that complete happiness, that feeling were you would give up everything just to share your life with someone, right here in his arms.

* * *

Something was up with Dean and Cas. Sam didn’t know what it was, but something was different. Christmas Eve, sure that was weird, but what about the two of them wasn’t? Christmas day, it was so much worse. Dean bought presents for everyone, because what was Christmas morning without presents? It sucked - they knew that. After they got jobs, even if they didn’t really celebrate anymore, Dean still made sure Sam had a present from him and Sam did the same for Dean. This Christmas, Dean got a little something for everyone else too. And an “apartment” gift because apparently Castiel didn’t have enough stuff. Sam did have to admit, the place was a little bare since he moved in with Jess.

Dean’s idea of an “apartment gift” was a stack of board games that Cas had incidentally never played. He couldn’t complain though, playing board games all day with Bobby, Jess, Garth, Dean and Cas had been one of the most fun Christmases Sam had ever had. It felt like family, real honest to God fiction worthy family and Sam couldn’t have been happier. Even Bobby smiled once or twice.

“You should have seen him Ellen, I didn’t know Bobby could smile that big. And over Scrabble.”

“How bad did he kick your ass Sammy?”

“It wasn’t even a competition, between him and Cas the rest of us pretty much broke off and started Monopoly. Except Dean, but his words were mostly jokes.”

“Well I’m glad you had a good day. Anything else to report?” Sam knew she was asking how close Cas and Dean seemed, if she had won the bet.

“They didn’t seem mad with each other at all but I don’t think anything happened. Christmas Eve, they were ready to fall asleep when we left and Christmas morning… I’d know if something was going on. Sorry Ellen.”

“Son of a bitch. I really thought I had this one.”

“I think everybody did.” Sam pat Ellen’s shoulder but her glare was more bear than mama bear this morning and it had him taking a couple steps away.

“Mom! Hey Sam. Mom, I just reentered the bet pool.”

“Jo, that was a hundred dollars, I thought you were saving up for-”

“I know. But did you see Cas come in? Apparently him and Dean were in the walk in again and Cas came up beet red and Dean stayed downstairs for like ten more minutes. And he didn’t even bring anything up. He had to go back downstairs when he saw me saying he forgot something. Ha! Yeah right, today mom, it’s happening  _today_. So close, sorry!”

“You’re kidding.” Sam scoffed. He saw Cas walk in, he looked fine. And now his brother was coming in… also looking fine but with a cheerier than usual smile for a Thursday shift. Huh. “Sorry Ellen.” He said again

A couple days later Sam was watching everyone go crazy waiting for Dean and Cas to just make a move. It was ridiculous. They were outright flirting with each other now and something just seemed off to him. Bobby bet again after having a little too much to drink and hearing that Jo went back in. The almost permanent shade of red Cas had taken up probably helped too. Becky was practically begging everyone to split a reentry fee with her, he almost felt bad but he wasn’t going to enter again, not with the New Year’s party in two days. It wasn’t worth the risk. Nothing about this bet had gone how anyone expected so far.

His decision didn’t stop Jess asking Sam to reenter with her every two minutes though. Especially since they upped the ante and Castiel came to work today in one of Dean’s bar t-shirts and some ridiculously tight pants claiming he forgot laundry day. The girls all went crazy with whispers but Ellen and Sam traded looks, something was up.

Still though, nothing happened. No amount of Dean’s eyes falling out of his head seemed to have an effect on Cas. Sam spent a little more time in the kitchen than usual and the conversation always came back around to his brother and, oh gee,  _the bet_  but he doesn’t outright accuse them of finding out or being together behind their backs. Until Ellen does.

“So you’re not going to do anything? Like no set up, you’re just leaving them alone.” Sam asks Ash while helping mix up another batch of beer batter. His childhood friend, always up for a little fun had been getting more and more wired up the closer New Year’s came, practically drooling whenever someone reentered, but not doing anything to steer Dean and Cas closer to his date like everyone else had.

“Hey man, it’s New Year’s Eve. I’m not saying they’ll kiss at midnight, but I don’t need to hang any mistletoe for it to happen, just start a countdown if you know what I mean.”

Ellen steps in from the office and, God help him, he can’t not smile at her when she stares at Ash like that. Too many years of having that guilt button carved into them as a kid, he knew Ash was going to fess up to something. “So you’ve got nothing up your sleeve, Ash? Nothing at all. No genius plan to take everyone’s money. You’re just gunna sit back, watch the ball drop and hope for the best?”

Ash couldn’t hold eye contact with her, he was so screwed. Sam had to choose between staying to watch the show and saving his clothes from the imminent blood spatter to follow. A sideways look from Ellen made the choice. “I’m, uh, going to go see if they need any help out front.”

* * *

New Years Eve found Dean taking his second shower of the day in preparation for his night shift at The Roadhouse. The first one didn’t really count, at least not in the get clean way. It was more of a mutual bruised knees and blood roaring so hot and hard Dean thought he was going to die way. Cas definitely found the learning curve on sex. Today’s lesson: blow jobs. In the shower.

But it didn’t matter. It would have been great to have the awkward first attempt at blow jobs with teeth after the ‘wearing Dean’s t-shirt and tight pants to work fiasco’ all over again if he got the chance to make Cas come. Because fuck, it was the best thing. The way he went from making desperate noises to gasping and going dead quiet, eyes wide as if he was so surprised every time. It was amazing, it gave him such a rush knowing he could bring Cas to that, that he could give him that feeling. And newbie or not, it was the best sex of his life.

Dean was officially  _never_ going to be able to use that shower again without a little happy time. Hopefully he would never have to use it without Cas again. He’d like to think they were saving money on water that way, but the fact they stayed panting under the spray until it was too cold to stand was probably evidence against that.

But he had to focus because New Year’s Eve was finally here. And he was panicking about what to wear like it was really going to be their first kiss. Settling on a red button up people always told him looked nice to throw on over his bar T, he was out the door. He could have been a little less wrinkled, but he was late and it was his style so did it really matter? Cas could introduce him to hangers and the iron again later.

The bar didn’t do anything grand for New Years Eve. Usually people, even a good amount of their regulars, were still traveling from the holidays or going somewhere more festive - or comfortable, depending on who - than a half frozen lakeside bar in South Dakota to watch the ball drop. So they hung some signage as tacky as they were shiny, iced some champagne and threw some extra appetizers on the menu. This year Jess had sprung for crowns and fancy hats and Garth bought party poppers Ellen wasn’t 100% sold on yet.

 Still, by eleven thirty it was pretty much just the crew crowded around the television Ash set up on the bar watching some pop star princess or other sing. But hey, tradition.

Dean didn’t really care. Soon he wasn’t going to have to hide anything anymore. Ellen had apparently found out about Ash’s pool table plans but none of them were buried alive in the scrap yard for hiding the details once Ash’s rental fees were explained and his predictions of earnings equaling more than what the bet pool was worth were illustrated in some equations and charts Dean had no idea Ash had the time to make or hide were shown. That was something.

Other than that though, he was just trying to keep himself and Cas apart until  _after_  midnight. Alcohol didn’t seem to be helping. When the hell had they turned from angry, chatty drunks to touchy feely ones? God, it was almost sickening even to him, but he still couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Except for when he would catch Sam staring. He felt bad hiding from the kid. He never liked not telling Sammy everything, he even got guilted by those puppy eyes a few times but Ash kept pulling him away saying “ _midnight, midnight, midnight”._

And then it was finally almost midnight. A ridiculously expensive ball was making its way down a pole in New York City and Cas was walking over to him, shiny blue top hat still on his head where Jess had put it, his own gold one was long gone. He thinks Frank took it. But that doesn’t really matter now because Becky was starting off the countdown and he was trying to look like he wasn’t planning on jumping Cas the second the clock stoke 12:01.

“10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5!” Even Rufus was yelling with the girls, a little heavy on his Johnny Walker for the holiday probably. “4! 3! 2! 1!” He and Cas aimed their party poppers at Sam and Jess before they were gaping at where Becky was mauling Garth. Ha! He knew it. He wanted to save the poor guy from Becky’s crazy but they’d probably be really good together.

“Happy New Year!” Ellen and Jo yelled, also a little far gone on their drinks of choice. Ash gave them the thumbs up he’d been waiting for all week and he looked back at Cas who was already blushing.

“Happy New Year, Dean.” He said, eyes flicking down to his lips and back up to look into his. They threw back their champagne and Dean is helpless against the scrunched up look Cas gives when the bubbles tickle his nose. He curls his hand around the back of Cas’ neck and he responds immediately, ripping the champagne flute out of Dean’s hand to throw back on the bar so they can get their hands on each other.  

Cas’ arms wrap around him to the sounds of everyone cheering and cluing in to what’s happening. He lets one hand splay across the middle of Cas’ back, the other gripping a hip and guiding him closer before they’re smiling and panting too much to kiss further.

Dean beams at his brother who’s flinging the streamers from the party poppers back at them as Cas buries his face in Dean’s neck, not fond of all the attention. Everyone seems to get that they were in on it because they showed off and were a bit too comfortable with each other for what was supposed to be their first kiss. Oh well, Bobby and Jo can be pissed. At least Rufus was laughing louder than Dean had ever heard and Becky and Ash were still cheering.

“Happy New Year, Cas.”


	18. Epilogue : The Pool Table Definitely Knows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for staying tuned through our first dive into Supernatural and all the chaos that ensued! This marks the end of The Whole Damn RoadHouse Knows, but fear not - we're still here. We'll be taking the rest of January off to finish up our Teen Wolf story and rest up but we have some exciting things planned for February.  
> Keep in touch with us and submit prompts any time at thebadassisin.tumblr.com and we'll see you soon! ;)
> 
> Thanks again!  
> -BadAss and WonderTwin

**Epilogue: The Pool Table Definitely Knows**

Sam and Jess walked into the kitchen for their lunch shift together and met an unusual scene. Namely his brother’s car at 11:30 in the morning. Were he and Cas already at the car borrowing stage because that was bullshit. Sam barely even got to drive and he grew up in that car! The Roadhouse was in darkness when they walked in and quiet…too quiet. Like no one had been in yet today. But wasn’t it Jo’s turn for inventory? And why wasn’t Ash eating breakfast in the corner while the grills and clean oil heat up?

They heard a bottle breaking and what sounded like a groan from beyond the swinging doors onto the main floor. Sam grabbed the sawed off hanging on the wall behind the ice machine  and motioned for Jess to stay quiet behind him as he slowly pushed the door open and took in the scene.

There was a broken bottle spilling beer onto the floor by the new pool table which was holding an unconscious Ash. Sam swung the gun around, taking in the rest of the room before approaching his friend, nudging him with an outstretched hand and still looking for an intruder but feeling like maybe that wasn’t the case.

“What?! Oh, closin’ time?”

“Ash?” Sam asked with a lilt in his voice, recognizing that this was just some drunk stupidity left from last night and nothing he needed a gun for. Jess visibly relaxed next to him and let out a few chuckled as Ash squinted away the sun and groaned again.

“Ugh. Sorry Sam I am. Protectin’ my territory man.”

“What?” Jess asked. Sam wasn’t even going to try and understand Ash, it was hard enough when he wasn’t hung over.

“His brother has no respect for other people’s property.”

Oh god, “What are you talking about Ash?”

“Dean! I was just mindin’ my own business, even offered to get the dude some fries and beers and what does he do?”

* * *

I’m starvin’. You guys want some grub? Fries are easy.” Ash asked from where he was watching Dean show Cas how to break _again_ and Cas barely managing to scatter the balls. At least he didn’t sink the eight this time.

Dean didn’t look up from where his eyes were more on Cas’ ass than where the guy was pointing the cue. “Got some cheese and bacon to put on ‘em Ash?”

“It’s like you can read my mind man.”

“Beers too?”

“You know it.”

Dean laughs and steps up to the table for his turn, sinking a line of evens. “Yatzee.” He continues on until only the eight is left, missing on purpose and pocketing the cue ball so Cas doesn’t feel too bad.

Dean was maybe enjoying Cas’ utter failure at pool a little too much. It was easy, point and shoot. Dean can’t help he was always good at it. He remembered teaching Sam and how fun that had been until the kid finally got it and had killed him in every game since. Hustling too. Dean could always rake in the bets, but Sam had a way of pulling out the ‘double or nothings’ and ‘best two out of threes’. It had to be the trustworthy puppy eyes, people just never believed he was scamming them. Dean didn’t have time for that bull shit. He had to smile and show off where he could.

He didn’t think Cas was going to be finding a hidden talent at billiards anytime soon. Dean wasn’t going to let him give up though, if only to watch him chalk a cue or lean too far over the table to reach an easy shot he could still barely land.

Maybe Dean was a bad teacher.

More likely he was just distracted by Cas’ body pressed back against his as he helped him correct his stance and line up a shot.

Cas spent a little too long positioning the cue as Dean ran his hands slowly from Cas’ up his arms and back down again. “Relax.” He whispered in Cas’ ear, feeling him shiver as he placed a kiss behind it. Cas quickly took the shot, not even looking anymore, and turned to Dean to catch his mouth in a slow kiss.

“Was this your plan from the start?”

“No, but I like this one better.” Dean grinned, leaning in to push Cas back up against the table and start that kiss up again.

Kissing Cas was like heaven – warm and soft and perfect. Even now after a splitting a basket of onion rings with Ash, probably the cook’s idea to keep this exact thing from happening against the new pool table. Dean couldn’t help it, pool tables were great for a lot of things.

He runs his hands down to Cas’ hips and gives a squeeze when Cas finds _that_ spot on the roof of his mouth before he reaches down further to grip his thighs and hoist him up. Cas laughs as Dean lowers him backwards, pushing balls out of the way and tucking Cas’ ass right against the lip of the table. He grinds down and pulls Cas’ hands up above his head, stretching him out as far as he could reach. He was so beautiful like this, stretched out under him, Dean’s hips pinning him to the table and making little frustrated noises when Dean would draw away from the kiss and hover and tease, just breathing against him in the way he knew drove Cas crazy. He completely forgot they weren’t alone until the swinging door was screeching open where Ash had kicked it to walk through with baskets of fries.

“What in the _hell_?! Nuh _uh_ you get off my pool table right the fuck now!”

Dean laughed hoping Ash would get the hint and fuck off as he continued his path down Cas’ neck until Cas was making that particular noise that had him rethinking things. They needed to go home. _Now_. He lurched back, using the momentum to pull Cas with him.

“That’s right. Get outta here you perverts, what’s the matter with you?! Can’t respect a man’s brand new pool table!”

They only made it as far as the supply closet before Cas’ lips were on his again and he was shoving the man up against the nearest surface, privacy be damned. At least they had a door this time, Ash could count his blessings.

* * *

“N’ then he made this _noise,_ god it was like chokin’ a dog an-”

 “Ash, stop, _stop!_ We don’t need to know this.”

“I could bare a little more.” Jess said, maniacal laughter lighting up a side of her he’d never seen. He blamed Becky. When in doubt, blame Becky. “What? Like that’s the worst they’ve done? To think you guys spent months trying to get them to do this very same thing with an audience.”

Sam is officially traumatized.

“Sorry little brother – I just needed to share some of that. Guard my baby while I’m cookin’. Dean thinks he can use my pool table like that, he better be prepared for me sleeping on it every night for the rest’a my life.” Ash cracked his back and shuffled through the swinging doors. Well this was a morning his brain could have done without. “ _What the fuck Winchester! The linen closet – Are you shittin’ me?!”_

Jess let out a hoot of laughter next to him, pulling out her phone and running for the kitchen. Yeah, could have definitely never known about today. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Whole Damn RoadHouse Knows will be edited for continuity, grammar, and other errors through January 2014, please check the end notes for edit dates and feel free to comment with any mistakes we may have missed.  
> Thank you for your help and support  
> -WT


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